f 


/ 

y »  ' 

A  Trinity  of  School  Songs. 

THE  COUNTY, 

THE  STATE, 

THE  NATION. 


THE  COUNTY. 


WINNELBAGO. 


By  Harriot!'  Wight  Sherratt,  Rockford,  III.,  October  23,  1901. 
i  '^Alr  Battle  Hymn  of  the  llei>u}>lie ) 


I . 


3- 


From  the  groves  of  Winnebago  where  the  limpid  water  gleams, 

Where  the  watch-fires  of  the  Indians  blazed  along  the  rushing  streams; 
Where  our  fathers  built  their  altars,  where  they  dreamed  prophetic  dreams. 
Our  children  lift  their  song. 

(Chorus  :  —  God  be  with  thee  Winnebago, 

Glory, ^glory,  Winnebago, 

Halleluiah,  Winnebago, 

Our  children  lift  their  song. 

From  the  homes  of  Winnebago  where  our  mothers  knelt  in  prayer. 

Where  their  cabin  fires  were  lighted  in  this  new  world  fresh  and  fair; 

From  the  kingdom  of  the  fireside  where  the  happy  children  are. 

They  lift  triumphant  song. 

Chorus  : — God  be  with  thee,  Winnebago, 

Glory,  glory,  Winnebago, 

Halleluiah,  Winnebago,  - 
Fhey  lift  triumphant  song. 

From  the  fields  of  Winnebago  where  her  golden  harvests  lie. 

From  the  busy  towns  and  cities  underneath  her  sunny  sky, 

Lift  the  song  of  glad  rejoicing,  let  all  woe  and  discord  die. 

For  God  hath  blessed  the  land. 

Chorus  ; — God  be  with  thee,  Winnebago, 

Glory,  glory,  Winnebago, 

Halleluiah,  Winnebago, 

For  God  hath  blessed  the  land. 


4.  Lift  the  flag  o’er  Winnebago,  sacred  Hag  to  me  and  mine. 

Flag  our  fathers  bore  in  triumph  o’er  the  battle’s  deadly  line. 
Emblem  of  our  righteous  freedom,  freedom  born  of  law  divine. 

Our  fathers’  Hag  and  ours. 

Chorus  : — God  be  with  thee,  Winnebago, 

Glory,  glory,  Winnebago, 

Halleluiah,  Winnebago, 

Our  fathers’  Hag  and  ours. 

5.  Grant,  O  God  of  Winnebago,  and  of  all  the  sons  of  men. 

That  the  cannon’s  lips  be  silent,  that  they  may  not  speak  again  ; 
Let  the  sword  drop  from  the  scabbard,  while  the  people  cry  amen. 
Let  Peace  reign  evermore. 

C’horus  : — Glory,  glory,  Winnebago, 

Halleluiah,  Winnebago, 

God  be  with  thee,  Winnebago, 

His  peace  reign  evermore. 

(Repeat  Last  Chorus  Very  Softly.) 

i  4HC. 


THE  STATE 


ILLINOIS. 

I.  By  the  river  gently  flowing,  Illinois,  Illinois, 

O’er  the  prairies  verdant  growing,  Illinois,  Illinois, 

Comes  an  echo  on  the  breeze,  rustling  through  the  leafy  trees. 
And  its  mellow  tones  are  these,  Illinois,  Illinois, 

And  its  mellow  tones  are  these,  Illinois. 


2.  O’er  a  wilderness  of  prairies,  Illinois,  Illinois, 

Straight  thy  way  and  never  varies,  Illinois,  Illinois, 

Till  upon  the  inland  sea,  stands  thy  great  Commercial  Tree, 
Turning  all  the  world  to  thee,  Illinois,  Illinois, 

Turning  all  the  world  to  thee,  Illinois. 

3.  When  you  heard  your  country  (calling,  Illinois,  Illinois, 

When  the  shot  and  shell  were 'falling,  Illinois,  Illinois, 

When  the  Southern  host  withdrew,  pitting  Gray  against  the  Blue, 
There  were  none  more  brave  than  you,  Illinois,  Illinois, 

There  were  none  more  brave  than  you,  Illinois. 

4.  Not  without  thy  wondrous  story,  Illinois,  Illinois. 

Can  be  writ  the  Nations  glory,  Illinois,  Illinois, 

On  the  record  of  thy  years  Abr’am  Lincoln’s  name  appears. 

Grant  and  Logan  and  our  tears,  Illinois,  Illinois, 

Grant  and  Logan  and  our  tears,  Illinois. 


THE  NATION. 

AMERICA. 

I.  My  country  ’tis  of  thee 
Sweet  land  of  liberty. 

Of  thee  I  sing; 

Land  where  my  fathers  died 
Land  of  the  pilgrim’s  pride. 
From  ev’ry  mountain  side 
Let  freedom  ring. 


2.  My  native  country  thee, 

Land  of  the  noble  free, 

Thy  name  I  love; 

I  love  thy  rocks  and  rills. 

Thy  woods  and  templed  hills  ; 
My  heart  with  rapture  thrills 
Like  that  above. 

3.  Let  music  swell  the  breeze, 

And  ring  from  all  the  trees. 

Sweet  freedom’s  song; 
Let  mortal  tongue  awake. 

Let  all  that  breathe  partake; 
Let  rocks  their  silence  break; 
The  sound  prolong. 

4.  Our  Father’s  God  !  to  thee. 
Author  of  Liberty, 

To  Thee  we  sing; 

Long  may  our  land  be  bright 
With  freedom’s  holy  light; 
Protect  us  by  thy  might 
Great  God,  our  King. 


A  Road  to  Learning. 

District  No.  114  Winnebago  Co.,  Ill.,  August,  1902. 


“  Heavy  with  sunshine  droops  the  golden- 
rod. 

And  the  red  pennons  of  the  cardinal 
flowers 

Hang  motionless  upon  their  upright 
staves. 

The  sky  is  hot  and  hazy,  and  the  wind. 

Wing-weary  with  its  long  flight  from  the 
south. 

Unfelt;  yet,  closely  scanned,  yon  maple 
leaf 

With  faintest  motion,  as  one  stirs  in 
dreams. 

Confesses  it.  The  locust  by  the  wall 

Stabs  tlie  noon-silence  with  his  sharp 
alarm. 

A  single  hay-cart  down  the  dusty  road 

Creaks  slowly,  with  its  driver  fast  asleep 

On  the  load’s  top.” — 

Whittier,  Prelude  Aiiwikj  Hie  Hills. 


Another  Road  to  Learning. 

The  Country  School  Library  and  the  Country  Child. 

A  Pleasant  Corner.  District  No.  58,  Winnebago  County,  III.,  May  1902. 
Miss  Emma  Pepper,  Teacher. 


The  books  and  library  case  in  above  school  have  been  put  in  through  the 
efforts  of  the  teacher  and  pupils  by  means  of  school  socials.  There  are  many 
such  corners  in  the  school  houses  of  Winnebago  County.  There  are  eleven  dis¬ 
tricts  without  a  single  library  book.  What  is  to  be  done  about  it  ? 


See  District  School  Library  Exhibit. 

See  Winnebago  County  District  School  Travelling  Library  Exhibit. 

What  is  of  Most  Value  ?  To  make  these  books  most  helpful  in  terms  of  better  charac¬ 
ters  and  stronger  school  work.  See  Special  Library  Work. 

2 


To  the  Friends  of  the  Country  School  and  the  Country 
Child  in  Winnebago  County. 


This  booklet  is  presented  to  you  at  the  close  of  our  first  four  years  of  work 
together.  Those  four  years  have  been  years  of  hard  work.  My  sincere  thanks 
are  yours  because  of  your  hearty  co-operation.  It  has  been  my  duty  to 
champion  new  ideas  and  methods  with  reference  to  the  education  of  the  country 
child  and  the  evolution  of  the  country  school.  In  all  departments  of  human  ac¬ 
tivity  new  measures  and  methods  are  necessary  for  success.  The  farm  is  feeling 
the  spirit  of  a  new  age.  And  why  should  the  district  school  lag  behind  ? 

Your  attention  is  called  to  the  improvement  of  school  buildings  and  grounds. 
A  clean,  healthful  building  with  beautiful  grounds  is  the  first  step  towards  a  better 
school.  Soap,  fresh  water,  paint,  trees  and  flowers  are  the  needed  additions  to  our 
course  of  study,  not  Geometry,  Algebra  or  Latin. 

Please  read  carefully  the  exhibits  of  the  district  school  library  and  the  Win¬ 
nebago  county  traveling  libraries.  Libraries  in  the  schools  should  aid  in  cultivat¬ 
ing  a  taste  for  ^ood  reading  and  supply  material  for  supplementary  study  in  the 
regular  school  work.  The  books.  Supplementary  Readers,  works  on  U.  S.  History, 
Geography  and  Nature  Study  have  been  selected  for  these  two  objects. 

And  yet  a  school  library  may  not  prove  an  entire  blessing.  So  you  will  see 
that  far  some  time  to  come  the  Superintendent  and  teachers  will  study  together  how 
to  make  these  books  of  most  service  to  the  children.  Teachers  have  been  urged 
not  to  allow  library  readings  to  interfere  with  school  work  and  to  teach  children  to 
make  proper  use  of  books. 

You  will  observe  that  the  beginning  of  an  attempt  has  been  made  to  bring 
the  farm  into  close  touch  with  the  College  of  Agriculture  by  the  organization  of  the 
Winnebago  County  Farmer  Boys’  Experiment  Club  ;  Educational  Excursion  to  the 
College  of  Agriculture  and  Experiment  Farm ;  Agricultural  College  Extension 
Work  ;  and  the  co  operation  of  the  Farmers’  Institute  and  the  Country  School. 
Here  is  a  great  opportunity  for  the  country  boy  who  has  quit  the  district  school. 

Read  the  “Evolution  of  Truth”  with  reference  to  School  Gardens.  Do 
farmers  demand  practical  teaching  of  Agriculture  in  the  conntry  schools  ? 

Your  attention  is  called  to  the  great  work  being  done  by  the  teachers  and 
pupils  in  putting  beautiful  pictures  into  the  school-rooms.  The  illustrations  speak 
for  themselves. 

Will  your  school  get  a  prize  offered  by  the  Youth’s  Companion  ? 

Is  yonr  school  one  of  the  eleven  districts  of  Winnebago  County  without  a 
single  library  book  ? 

If  you  have  children  in  school  and  are  interested  in  giving  them  the  best 
preparation  possible  for  the  battle  of  life,  you  will  carefully  read  the  exhibit  with 
reference  to  Centralization  of  Schools. 

My  special  thanks  are  due  the  Winnebago  County  Board  of  Supervisors 
for  their  help,  sympathy  and  co-operation  for  the  past  four  years. 

I  sincerely  trust  the  future  will  bring  yet  greater  results  in  all  matters  per¬ 
taining  to  the  improvement  of  those  conditions  affecting  the  Country  School  and 
the  Country  Child. 

Respectfully,  O.  J.  KERN. 

Rockford,  III.,  November,  1902. 

3 


By  the  Roadside. 

District  No.  72,  June,  1902,  Winnebago  County,  Illinois. 


Arbor  Day  Anthem. 

Tune  —“America.” 


Joy  for  the  sturdy  trees! 

Fanned  by  each  fragrant  breeze. 
Lovely  they  standi 
The  song  birds  o’er  them  thrill. 
They  shade  each  tinkling  rill, 
They  crown  each  swelling  hill 
Lowly  or  grand. 


Select  the  strong,  the  fair, 
Plant  them  with  earnest  care- 
No  toil  is  vain. 

Plant  in  a  fitter  place. 

Where  like  a  lovely  face. 

Let  in  some  sweeter  grace. 
Change  may  prove  gain. 


Plant  them  by  stream  or  way. 
Plant  where  the  children  play 
And  toilers  rest; 

In  every  verdant  vale. 

On  every  sunny  swale 
Whether  it  grow  or  fail 
God  knoweth  best. 


God  will  His  blessings  send — 

All  things  on  Him  depend. 

His  loving  care. 

Clings  to  each  leaf  and  flower 
Like  ivy  to  its  tower,  i 

His  presence  and  His  power  | 

Are  everywhere. 

Dr.  S.  F.  Smith,  Author  of  America.  I 


i 


A  Four  Years  Course  of  Professional  Study 
for  Winnebago  County  Teachers. 


Discussion  of  Topics  in  the  Following  Books. 

COURSE  OF  1899=1900, 

1.  Blow. — Letters  to  a  Mother. 

2.  Coinpayre — Lectures  on  Pedagogy. 

3.  Compayre — Psychology  Applied  to  Education. 

4.  Hinsdale — Horace  Mann  and  the  Common  School  Revival. 

5.  McCormick — Suggestions  on  Teaching  Geography. 

6.  McMnrry — Method  of  the  Recitation. 

7.  McMurry.  Special  Method  in  Science  in  the  Lower  Grades. 

8.  Taylor — Study  of  the  Child. 

9.  Tompkins  —  Philosophy  of  Teaching. 

10.  Tompkins — Philosophy  of  School  Management. 

11.  White — School  Management. 

For  completion  of  Course  of  1899-1900,  Professional  Attainment  Certificates 
were  issued  to  114  teachers.  Besides  the  required  readings,  attendance  at  the  var¬ 
ious  monthly  and  annual  institutes  was  necessary.  The  teachers’  meetings  are  held 
in  four  different  places  in  the  county  during  several  months  of  the  school  year. 

COURSE  OF  1900=1901. 

1.  Mace — Method  in  History. 

2.  Barrage  and  Bailey — School  Sanitation  and  Decoration. 

3.  James — Talks  on  Psychology  and  Life’s  Ideals. 

4.  Seeley  —  Wisiory  of  Education. 

5.  Hinsdale — Teaching  the  Language  Arts. 

6.  McMurry — Method  of  the  Recitation. 

7.  Tompkins — Philosophy  of  School  Management. 

8.  Arnold — Reading:  How  to  Teach  It. 

9.  McCormick — Suggestions  on  Teaching  Geography. 

For  completion  of  the  course  of  1900- 1901,  Professional  Attainment  Certifi¬ 
cates  were  issued  to  119  teachers. 

COURSE  OF  1901  =  1902. 

1.  James — Talks  on  Psychology  and  Life’s  Ideals. 

2.  Hinsdale — Art  of  Study. 

3.  Mace — Method  in  History. 

4.  Hart — Formation  of  the  Union,  1750-1829,  Epochs  of  American  History 

Series. 

5.  Scott — Nature  Study  and  the  Child. 

6.  Tarr and  McMurry — Home  Geography. 

7.  Barrage  and  Bailey — School  Sanitation  and  Decoration. 

8.  Emery — How  to  Enjoy  Pictures. 

For  completion  of  the  course  of  1901- 1902.  Professional  Attainment  Certifi¬ 
cates  were  issued  to  103  teachers. 


5 


COURSE  OF  1902-1903. 

The  course  for  the  present  year  includes: 

First: — Review  Readings  and  practical  discussions  of  School  Organization 
and  Management. 

Second: — Library  Course.  How  to  use  books,  both  of  the  district  school 
libraries  and  the  Winnebago  County  Traveling  libraries.  How  to  make  them  of 
most  service  to  the  pupil  and  teacher  in  carrying  out  the  Course  of  Study. 

Importance  of  Use  and  Care  of  Library  Books. 

In  view  of  the  fact  that  there  are  now  6635  vols.  in  the  district  libraries  of 
our  county  and  also  2600  volumes  in  the  fifty  eight  Winnebago  County  District 
School  Traveling  libraries,  it  seems  of  greatest  importance  that  teachers  study  how 
to  make  these  books  of  m.ost  use  to  themselves  and  theirpupilsm  thedaily  school  work. 
So,  therefore,  no  regulation  pedagogical  reading  is  required  this  year — as  of  former 
years — other  than  such  review  readings  as  may  be  necessary  to  carry  out  programs 
of  discussions  of  problems  of  school  organization  and  management  at  our  various 
monthly  meetings.  Instead,  teachers  are  urged,  and  it  is  believed  they  will  desire 
so  to  do,  to  read  many  books  in  our  traveling  libraries  (see  list  page  12,  etc.) 

Thus  we  will  know  better  how  to  make  the  children’s  reading  of  most  service 
to  them  and  help  to  form  a  good  readmg  habit  in  growing  childre7i.  As  teachers, 
we  will  be  stronger  ourselves  for  a  year’s  work  of  this  kind.  Our  increased  power 
and  capacity  for  better  work  will  prove  the  wisdom  of  our  efforts  in  this  direction. 


Special  WorK  in  United  States  History. 

For  the  past  two  years  we  have  been  using  Mace’s  Method  in  History  as  the 
basis  of  our  study  together  at  the  Monthly  and  Annual  Institutes.  This  year 
each  teacher  is  to  see  how  much  of  that  method  is  practical,  by  working  out  a 
model  lesson  during  regular  school  work  in  U.  S.  History.  The  teacher  is  to  select 
any  event  and  give  a  written  outline  of  how  that  event  was  treated  in  class  work. 
This  outline  must  be  given  to  the  County  Superintendent  by  the  Annual  Institute 
the  last  week  of  March,  1903. 

At  the  Northern  Illinois  Teachers’  Association  held  at  Ottawa,  April,  1902, 
I  was  assigned  this  topic  to  discuss  before  the  Grammar  School  section,  viz  : 
“Some  Fundamental  Principles  and  How  They  Control  in  the  Study  of  Colonial 
History — Illustrated  by  outlines  of  two  or  three  events.”  The  outline  given  then 
is  here  printed  again  with  the  hope  it  may  prove  suggestive  to  teachers  in  their 
special  work. 

“Some  Fundamental  Principles  and  How  They  Control  in  the  Study 

of  Colonial  History.** 


[Illustrated  by  Outlines  of  two  or  three  Events.] 

[No  originality  is  claimed  for  much  of  what  follows.] 

A. — Preliminary  Statement  without  Discussion. 

I. — Object  of  history  teaching.  Two  quotations  by  way  of  introduction. 

I.  —  “One  of  the  chief  ends  for  the  teacher  of  history  in  the  grades  is  to  present  the  ele¬ 
ments  of  the  industrial,  social  and  economic  tendencies  of  the  past,  together  with  the 
development  of  our  political  institutions.’’  —  Radebaugh,  p.  13.  Printed  Pamphlet. 

2 — “An  examination  of  the  life  of  any  people  will  reveal  certain  permanent  features 
common  to  the  history  of  all  civilized  nations.  There  will  be  found  five  well-marked 
phases, — a  political,  a  religious,  an  educational,  an  industrial  and  a  social  phase. 
These  are  further  differentiated  by  the  fact  that  each  has  a  great  organization,  called 
an  institution,  around  which  it  clusters,  and  whose  purpose,  plan  of  work,  and 
machinery  are  peculiar  to  itself.  For  political  ideas,  the  center  is  the  institution  cal¬ 
led  government;  for  religious  ideas,  the  church;  for  educational  and  culture  influ¬ 
ences,  the  school ;  for  industrial  life,  occupation  ;  and  for  social  customs,  the  family.  ’  ’  — 
Mace,  page  ii.  Method  in  History. 


6 


II.  — Children  should  know  the  beginnings  of  American  Institutional  Life. 

III.  — Relation  of  Discoveries  and  Explorations  to  Colonial  Life. 

1.  — Show  places  where  European  Ideas  were  planted  [Mace  pp.  76-81.] 

2.  — Motives  of  Colonization.  [Ref.  Thwaites,  The  Colonies.] 

(a)  Spirit  of  adventurous  enterprise. 

{d)  Desire  for  wealth. 

(c)  Economics  or  political  discontent. 

(d)  Religious  sentiment. 

3.  — Why  instruction  limited  chiefly  to  English  colonies? 

IV.  — Colonial  Period.  — 1607- 1760. 

1.  —  Economic,  religious  and  political  situation  in  England,  17th  century. 

2.  — Characteristics  of  English  colonists. 

3.  —  English  Institutions  transplanted  to  new  world. — Ref. — Thwaites, 

The  Colonies — Fisher,  Colonial  Era. 


B, — Study  of  Colonial  History. 

I. — The  Beginning  and  Growth  of  American  Institutional  Life. — The  Or¬ 
ganizing  Principle. — 

Mace  pp.  82-104 — Method  in  History. 

I. — Subordinate  Phases  of  this  Principle. 

(a)  Concentration  of  power,  wealth,  refinement,  opportunity  into  the 
hands  of  the  few. — Southern  Colonies — Virginia  as  type. 

(I?)  General  participation  in  rights  and  privileges — Northern  colonies, 
Massachusetts  and  Connecticut  as  types. 

(c)  Characteristics  of  Middle  Colonies. 

II. — Development  of  Institutional  Life  in  the  South.  Growth  of  Aristocracy. 
I. — Event  Outlined — Landing  of  Slaves  at  Jamestown,  Aug.,  1619, 

(a)  Conditions  favorable  for  unskilled  labor. 

(^)  Effects  of  Slavery  upon  slave-holder  and  non-slave-holder. 

(1)  — Industrial  opportunities. 

(2)  — Social  Life. 

(3)  — Educational  facilities. 

(4)  —  Religious  sentiment. 

(5)  — Political  Power. 

[Ref.  Thwaites,  The  Colonies, — Fisher,  Colonial  Era  ] 

III. — Development  of  New  England  Institutional  Life, — Growth  of  Democracy. 
I. — Events  Outlined. 

(a)  Fundamental  Orders  of  Connecticut  1639.  Illustrative  Material. 

(i)  From  School  text-books  on  U.  S.  History. 

ist — “During  three  years  these  four  towns  were  part  of  Massachusetts.  But  in  1639, 
Windsor,  Hartford,  and  Wethersfield  adopted  a  constitution  and  formed  a  little  re¬ 
public  which  in  time  was  called  Connecticut.  Their  ‘Fundamental  Orders  of  Con¬ 
necticut’  was  the  first  written  constitution  made  in  America.  Their  republic  was 
the  first  in  the  history  of  the  world  to  be  founded  by  a  written  constitution,  and  marks 
the  beginning  of  democratic  goverment  in  our  country.” 

2nd. — “All  these  four  river  towns  at  first  allowed  themselves  to  remain  part  of  Mas¬ 
sachusetts,  and  Springfield  has  always  remained  so.  But  early  in  1639,  the  people 
of  the  other  three  towns  met  at  Hartford  and  agreed  to  govern  themselves  according 
to  a  written  constitution  drawn  up  by  Hooker  and  others.  By  this  constitution  the 
three  towns,  Windsor,  Hartford,  and  Wethersfield,  were  united  into  a  republic, 
which  came  to  be  called  Connecticut.  This  seems  to  have  been  the  first  time  in  the 
history  of  the  world,  that  a  State  was  created  by  a  written  constitution.  In  the  colony 
thus  founded  there  was  no  restriction  of  suffrage  to  church  members.” 

3rd. — “One  reason  why  many  of  the  Connecticut  emigrants  had  left  Massachusetts  was 
that  they  did  not  believe  in  the  principle  of  limiting  the  right  of  voting  to  church 
members.  The  Hartford  constitution  imposed  no  such  restriction  ;  every  citizen  was 
politically  equal  with  every  other,  and  there  was  nothing  to  hinder  his  taking  part 

7 


in  making  laws.  Today,  not  only  the  United  States,  but  every  State  in  the 
Union,  has  a  written  constitution — a  safeguard  of  liberty — similar  in  that  respect  to 
the  one  drafted  at  Hartford  in  1639.  That,  then,  may  be  called  the  parent  of  all 
that  have  followed.” 

4th.  —  ‘‘Every  man,  without  regard  to  belief,  could  vote  for  the  governor  and  council  ; 
each  township  had  equal  representation  in  Assembly;  free  schools  were  established; 
indeed,  the  constitution  of  Connecticut  was  so  liberal  in  all  its  provisions  that  it  has 
been  said  to  mark  the  beginnings  of  American  democracy.” 

(2)  Analysis  and  study  of  Old  South  Leaflet  No.  8,  to  show  how  Organizing 
Principle  controls  with  reference  to  Political  Rights  and  Privileges. 

(d)  Harvard  College  1639  Analysis  and  study  of  Old  South  Leaflet,  No. 

51.  New  England’s  First  Fruits — to  show  educational  opportunities. 

{c)  Banishment  of  Roger  Williams  1635.  Analysis  and  study  of  Old  South 
Leaflet  No.  54.  Letters  of  Roger  Williams  to  Winthrop  1636  or  1637. 
[The  second  letter  given  in  the  leaflet  discusses  the  religious  differences 
between  the  two  men  and  the  doctrines  which  had  led  to  William’s  ban¬ 
ishment  from  Massachusetts.] 

(2)  General  Observations  on 
{a)  New  England  Social  Life. 

{b)  Industrial  Life  and  Occupations. 

[Ref.  Thwaites,  The  Colonies.  Fisher,  The  Colonial  Era  ] 


Library  Exhibit  of  Winnebago  District  Schools. 

July  1,  1900  to  June  30,  1902. 

The  following  tabulated  results  show  what  has  been  done  towards  putting 
books  into  the  district  schools  for  the  past  two  school  years.  There  are  yet  eleven 
districts  without  a  single  book.  May  we  not  hope  that  the  teachers,  children  and 
patrons  of  those  districts  will  find  a  way  to  get  books  before  this  school  year  is 
ended  ? 

Brief  Summary  for  School  Year  July  1,  1900  to  June  30,  1901, 

1  No.  of  vols  added  to  district  libraries — 2180. 

2  AniDunt  of  miney  expended  from  district  funds  for  libraries  [55  dis¬ 
tricts]  ^480.34. 

3  Amount  of  money  raised  by  school  entertainments  and  socials  for  books 
and  pictures  [66  districts]  ^868.68. 

Brief  Summary  for  School  Year  July  1,  1901  to  June  30,  1902. 

1  No.  of  vols.  added  to  district  libraries — 1403. 

2  Amount  of  money  expended  from  district  funds  for  libraries  [24  dis¬ 
tricts]  $242.05. 

3  Amount  of  money  raised  by  school  entertainments  and  socials  for  books, 
pictures,  library  cases  [67  districts]  $1072.09 


8 


lo,  of 

strict. 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

12 

13 

14 

15 

16 

19 

20 

21 

22 

23 

24 

25 

26 

27 

28 

29 

30 

31 

59 

32 

33 

34 

35 

36 

37 

38 

39 

40 

41 

42 

43 

44 

45 

46 

47 

48 

49 

50 

51 

52 

53 

54 

55 

56 

57 

68 


ited  Report  July  1,  1900  to  June  30,  1902, 


)tice  carefully  the  following  :  What  will  be 
our  record  for  the  present  school  year? 


No.Vols.in 

Library 

July  1,1900. 

No.  Vols. 
Added 

1901.  i 

No.  Vol. 
Added 

1902. 

Total  Vols.  in 
Library 

June  30.  1902. 

16  i 

20  1 

0 

36 

12 

20 

17 

49 

21 

13  i 

0  i 

34 

16 

25  1 

20  1 

61 

0 

0  1 

0 

0 

0 

16  1 

25  1 

41 

1 

0  1 

0 

1 

10 

20  1 

20 

50 

95 

30  i 

20 

145 

1 

20 

21 

42 

2 

20  ! 

0  1 

22 

6 

21  ! 

0  1 

27 

185 

66 

50 

301 

0 

0 

0 

0 

1 

26  ! 

20 

47 

13 

20  i 

20 

53 

1 

40  i 

26 

67 

1 

0  1 

30 

31 

1 

27 

20 

48 

9 

22 

0 

31 

1 

29 

10 

40 

11 

0  ! 

0 

11 

1 

20 

0  1 

21 

1 

21 

0 

22 

300 

85 

20 

405 

25 

32 

!  20  j 

77 

3 

0 

0  ! 

3 

28 

21 

11 

60 

16 

20 

1  8 

44 

5 

0 

0 

5 

3 

1  20 

20 

1  43 

1 

1  20 

i  20 

41 

0 

20 

1 

21 

28 

20 

0 

48 

1 

20 

‘  0 

21 

1 

20 

1  0 

21 

20 

0 

i  20 

40 

31 

21 

20 

72 

9 

11 

1  20 

40 

13 

1  20 

!  21 

54 

4 

14 

i  20 

1  38 

0 

20 

1  20 

1  40 

21 

20 

!  20 

61 

39 

20 

15 

74 

17 

20 

20 

57 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

1 

20 

0 

21 

12 

17 

1  20 

49 

21 

’  19 

i  0 

40 

1 

20 

11 

32 

0 

47 

0 

47 

0 

0 

0 

0 

80 

20 

1  20 

120 

1 

21 

1  0 

22 

4 

0 

1  20 

24 

1 

20 

20 

41 

9 


No.  ( 

Distrl 

61 

62 

63 

64 

65 

66 

67 

68 

69 

70 

71 

72 

73 

74 

75 

76 

77 

78 

79 

80 

81 

82 

83 

84 

85 

86 

87 

88 

117 

89 

90 

91 

92 

93 

144 

95 

96 

97 

98 

99 

100 

101 

102 

103 

104 

105 

106 

107 

108 

109 

110 

111 

202 

112 

113 

114 

115 

116 

118 

119 

120 


Tabulated  Report,  continued. 


No.  Vols.  In 
Library 

July  1, 1900. 

No.  Vols. 
Added 

1901. 

No.  Vols. 
Added 

1902. 

Total  Vols.  in 
Library 

June  30,  1902. 

100 

21 

20 

141 

0 

0 

0 

0 

20 

21 

20  ’ 

61 

1 

20 

20 

41 

0 

0 

0 

0 

22 

20 

15 

57 

3 

20 

0 

23 

33 

32 

20 

85 

83 

21 

20 

124 

51 

47 

32 

130 

129 

16 

20 

165 

45 

20 

10 

75 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

1 

18 

22 

41 

1 

20 

21 

42 

1 

0 

20 

21 

0 

27 

20 

47 

2 

21 

0 

23 

2 

21 

0 

23 

0 

21 

20 

41 

3 

0 

0 

3 

0 

21 

20 

41 

1 

20 

0 

21 

21 

20 

13 

54 

567 

0 

30 

597 

40 

35 

11 

86 

34 

20 

20 

74 

0 

48 

0 

48 

0 

0 

0 

0 

20 

21 

0 

41 

9 

20 

13 

42 

26 

20 

21 

68 

20 

20 

0 

40 

0 

0 

0 

0 

16 

20 

20 

OLFire] 

10 

13 

20 

43 

219 

14 

8 

241 

38 

20 

20 

78 

8 

20 

20 

48 

4 

5 

20 

29 

33 

20 

20 

73 

50 

14 

0 

64 

5 

0 

0 

5 

65 

20 

20 

105 

1 

20 

0 

21 

29 

20 

0 

49 

3 

20 

20 

43 

20 

20 

0 

40 

13 

21 

20 

54 

4 

20 

0 

24 

2 

20 

0 

22 

1 

27 

29 

57 

198 

26 

0 

224 

12 

37 

0 

49 

20 

47 

8 

75 

3 

20 

20 

43 

0 

0 

20 

20 

20 

0 

24 

44 

6 

21 

20 

47 

1 

20 

20 

41 

3107 

2180 

1403 

6635 

10 


11 


District  School  1'raveling  Libraries  of  Winnebago  County,  III.  In  the  County  Superintendent’s  Office,  Sept,  i,  1901. 

These  forty  boxes  have  traveled  over  the  county  during  the  past  year.  Since  Sept,  i,  1902,  eighteen  boxes 
more  have  been  added,  making  a  total  of  58  libraries.  Boxes  i,  2,  3,  4  were  cut  down  to  smaller  size  and  four 
much  larger  boxes  made  for  the  eight  graded  schools  of  the  county. 


l^xhibit  of  Winnebago  County  District  School  Travel= 
ing  Libraries,  November  1,  1902. 


Financial  Statement. 

By  appropriation,  Board  of  Supervisors,  June,  1901,  $300.00 

Net  proceeds  Township  Graduation  Exercises,  June,  1901,  300.00 

“  “  “  “  “  June,  1902,  281.60 

By  appropriation.  Board  of  Supervisors,  Sept.  1902,  400.00 

Total  Traveling  Library  Fund,  $1281.60 

How  Above  Fund  has  Been  Used. 

It  was  decided  that  the  money  could  be  used  to  best  advantage  in  the  pur¬ 
chase  of  Supplementary  Readers,  books  on  United  States  History,  Geography  and 
books  relating  to  Nature  Study,  i.  e.  animal  and  plant  life.  These  books  are  put 
into  boxes  and  travel  from  district  to  district,  staying  a  month  at  a  time  in  each 
district.  By  careful  selection  of  as  many  different  titles  as  possible,  the  children 
and  teachers  will  come  in  contact  with  a  great  many  different  good  books  in  the 
course  of  a  few  years.  Especially  is  this  true  when  different  boxes  are  assigned 
to  the  various  circuits  from  year  to  year.  After  paying  for  the  construction  of  58 
library  boxes  and  the  necessary  freight,  express  and  cartage,  the  following  books 
have  been  purchased.  You  will  notice  that  the  books  purchased  in  1902  comprise 
■a  greater  variety  of  titles  than  those  purchased  in  1901.  The  books  of  1901  were 
selected  as  a  foundation  and  some  dupHcation  was  imperative  to  fill  the  need  of  Supple¬ 
mentary  Readers,  Histories,  etc.,  since  school  directors  would  not  purchase  these 
for  the  schools. 

Books  Purchased  in  1901. 

40  Holton — Primer. 

20  Baldwin  —First  Reader. 

20  Baldwin  —Second  Reader. 

20  Baldwin — Third  Reader. 

20  Baldwin — Fourth  Reader. 

164  Cyr — First  Reader. 

164  Cyr — Second  Reader 
164  Cyr — Third  Reader. 

164  Fourth  Reader. 

40  Fiske — History  of  the  United  States. 

20  Thwaites — The  Colonies,  1492-1750. 

20  //rt-r/— Formation  of  the  Union,  17501829 

'  20  Bratt — Exploration  and  Discovery. 

20  Bratt — The  Early  Colonies. 

20  Tarr  Me  Murry — Home  Geography. 

20  Tarr  Me  Murry America. 

10  Andrews — Seven  Little  Sisters,  etc. 

TO  Afidrews — Eich  and  All,  etc. 

10  Andrews — Ten  Boys  Who  Lived,  etc. 

10  Andrews — The  Stories  Mother  Nature  told  Her  Children. 


12 


20  Bass — Plant  Life. 

20  Bass — Animal  Life. 

20  Grinnell — Our  Feathered  Friends. 

20  Stickney  Hoffman — Bird  World. 

10  Welsh — Some  of  Our  Friends. 

10  Welsh — Out  Doors. 

lo  Chase — Plant  Babies  and  Their  Cradles. 

10  Kh'by  —kwiii  Martha’s  Corner  Cupboard. 

10  Baldwin — Four  Great  Americans, 
lo  Burton — Four  American  Patriots, 
lo  Cody — Four  Famous  American  Writers, 
lo  Beebe — Four  American  Naval  Heroes. 

20  Holder — Stories  of  Animal  Life. 

20  Kelly — Short  stories  of  Our  Shy  Neighbors. 

20  Needham — Out  door  Studies. 

20  Lane — Stories  for  Children. 

20  Baldwin  — Old  Stories  of  the  East. 

20  Baldwin  — Filty  Famous  Stories  Retold. 

20  Dana — Plants  and  Their  Children. 

20  Gould — Mother  Nature’s  Children. 

30  Burroughs — Squirrels  and  Other  Fur  Bearers. 

20  Miller — The  First  Book  of  Birds. 

20  Crosby — Our  Little  Book  for  Little  Folks. 

10  Poyntz — Aunt  May’s  Bird  Talks. 

4  James — Practical  Agriculture. 

I  Redway — The  New  Basis  of  Geography. 

I  Shaw — School  Hygiene. 

Books  Purchased  in  1902. 

Some  of  these  books  were  added  to  the  boxes  of  last  year  and  the  remainder 
used  to  equip  the  eighteen  new  libraries. 

14  Roosevelt — Episodes  from  The  Winning  of  the  West. 

10  Roosevelt  Lodge — Hero  Tales  From  American  History. 

14  Dodge — Hans  Brinker  or  the  Story  ot  the  Silver  Skates. 

14  Baldwin — The  Discovery  of  the  Old  Northwest. 

20  Burton — New  Era  History  of  the  United  States. 

7  Shejard — Life  on  the  farm. 

7  George — Little  Journeys  to  Cuba  and  Puerto  Rico. 

7  George — Little  Journeys  to  Hawaii  and  the  Philippines. 

7  George — Little  Journeys  to  China  and  Japan. 

7  Geo7ge — Little  Journeys  to  Alaska  and  Canada. 

10  Hart — Formation  of  the  Union. 

7  Brooks — The  Century  Book  for  Young  Americans. 

7  Brooks — The  Century  Book  of  the  American  Colonies. 

5  Blanchard — A  Daughter  of  Freedom. 

5  Tomlinson — Three  Colonial  Boys. 

5  Drysdale — The  Treasury  Club. 

5  Drysdale — The  Young  Consul. 

5  Happy  Playtimes.  (Picture  Books  for  Primary  ) 

5  Pet’s  Picture  Farm.  (Picture  Books  for  Primary.) 

10  Our  Doggies.  (Picture  Books  for  Primary.) 

19  Our  Farmyard.  (Picture  Books  for  Primary.) 

TO  The  Book  of  Ships.  (Picture  Books  for  Primary. 

13 


•8 

8 

8 

8 

4 

4 

5 

6 

5 

8 

8 

8 

8 

7 

6 

8 

7 

lO 

lO 

13 

6 

7 

13 

7 

6 

7 

8 

7 

7 

16 

6 

6 

6 

6 

6 

6 

10 

10 

20 

I 

I 

2 

I 

3 

3 

3 

3 

3 

3 

3 


Our  Country — West.  (Youth  Companion  Series.) 

By  Land  and  Sea.  (Youth  Companion  Series.) 

Talks  About  Animals.  (Youth  Companion  Series.) 
Our  Country — East.  (Youth  Companion  Series.) 
Stoddard — Little  Smoke. 

Stoddar'd—Q^o'^d.o,^  Out  O’Crofield. 

Barbour — For  the  Honor  of  the  School. 

Captain  Fritz — His  Friends  and  Adventures. 
Bolton — Our  Devoted  Friend  The  Dog. 

Johnston  —ThQ  Little  Colonel’s  House  Party. 

11^ ade— Our  Little  Russian  Cousin. 

Wade — Our  Little  Japanese  Cousin. 

Wade—Om  Little  Indian  Cousin. 

Wade — Our  Little  Brown  Cousin. 

Holden  —Oav  Country’s  Flag. 

Pierson — Among  the  Farmyard  People. 

Egleston — Hand-book  of  Tree  Planting. 

Basket — The  Story  of  the  Fishes. 

James — Practical  Agriculture. 

Howells — A  Boy’s  Town. 

Baldwm — The  Conquest  of  the  Old  Northwest. 
Guerber — The  Story  of  the  Thirteen  Colonies. 

Shaw — Discoverers  and  Explorers. 

Me Cullough — Little  Stories  for  Little  People. 

Krout — Alice’s  Visit  to  the  Hawaiian  Islands. 

Shaw — Big  People  and  Little  People  of  Other  Lands. 
Eggleston — Stories  of  American  Life  and  Adventure. 
Bradish — Stories  of  Country  Life. 

Bartlett — Animals  at  Home. 

Stokes — Ten  Common  Trees. 

Wray — Jean  Mitchel’s  School. 

Coe — The  World  and  its  People.  Book  IV. 

The  World  and  its  People.  Book  V. 

Smith — The  World  and  its  People.  Book  VI. 

Moore — From  Colony  to  Commonwealth. 

Eassett — Colonial  Life  in  New  Hampshire. 

Wigwam  Stories. 

Under  Sunny  Skies.  (Youth  Companion  Series.) 
Northern  Europe.  (Youth  Companion  Series.) 
Montgomery — The  Leading  Facts  of  American  History. 
Ebers — Uarda,  A  Romance  of  Ancient  Egypt  [2  vols.J 
Lodge — Alexander  Hamilton. 

Jewett — The  Normans. 

Bradley — The  Goths. 

Roosevelt — American  Ideals  and  Other  Essays. 

Barnes — For  King  or  Country. 

Chaplin — Little  Folks  of  Other  Lands. 

Hornibrook — Camp  and  Trail. 

Stoddard — Jack  Morgan.  A  boy  of  1812. 

Brooks — True  Story  of  Benjamin  Franklin. 

Brooks — True  Story  of  Abraham  Lincoln. 

Brooks — True  Story  of  George  Washington. 

Brooks — Century  Book  of  Famous  Americans. 


14 


3  Brooks — Animals  in  Action. 

3  To7'ey — Every  Day  Birds. 

3  Miller — Little  Brothers  of  the  Air. 

3  Miller — Second  Book  of  Birds. 

3  Eckstrom — Woodpeckers. 

3  S))iith — Under  the  Cactus  Flag. 

3  Miller — In  Nesting  Time. 

3  Merriain — Birds  of  Village  and  Field. 

3  Tomlmson — Boys  of  Old  Monmouth. 

3  Coffin — Boys  of  ’76. 

3  Barnes — For  King  or  Country. 

3  Coffi7i — Old  Times  in  the  Colonies. 

3  Gibson — Eye  Spy. 

3  Coffin — Abraham  Lincoln. 

3  Coffin — Building  the  Nation. 

3  Stoddard — Dab  Kinzer. 

3  Burt — Eugene  Field  Book. 

3  Davis — Stories  for  Boys. 

3  D7-ake — Making  of  New  England. 

3  D7'‘ake — Making  of  Virginia. 

3  Gra7it — Our  Common  Birds  and  How  to  Know  Them. 

3  Field — Lullaby- Land. 

7  Ca7'roll — Around  the  World,  Book  1. 

7  Carroll — Around  the  World,  Book  2. 

7  Carroll— kxowndi  the  World,  Book  3. 

3  S77iith — Jolly  Good  Times.  ,  ,  , 

4  Alcott — Little  Men. 

^  '■■■  ■  iT'  ^  ^ 

4  Alcott — Little  Women.  ‘ 

3  Ply7npto7i — Flowers  of  the  Wilderness. 

3  Bailey — Garden  Making.  "  ,  - 

3  Earle — Child  Life  in  Colonial  Days. 

3  Earle — Home  Life  in  Colonial  Days. 

3  »  Bolto7i—Cx\v\%  who  Became  Famous. 

3  Bolto7i — Poor  Boys  who  Became  Famous. 

10  Wilso7i — Division  and  Reunion.  1829-1889. 

3  Clark — Birds  of  Lakeside  and  Prairie. 

3  Birds  of  Song  and  Story. 

3  Otis — Life  Savers. 

3  Harrington — About  the  Weather. 

4  Landscape  gardening  as  applied  to  home  decoration. 

3  Neighbors  of  field,  wood  and  stream. 

12  White — Court  of  Boyville. 

3  Riley — Neighborly  Poems. 

6  Denslow — Mother  Goose.  (Pictures  for  Primary.) 

6  Pictures  for  Little  People.  (For  Primary.) 

2  Barbour — Half-Back. 

6  Scudder—W evse  and  Prose  for  Beginners. 

6  Wiggin—StoTy  Hour. 

6  Hawthorne — Tangle  Wood  Tales. 

6  Miller — Second  Book  of  Birds. 

6  Hughes — Tom  Brown’s  School  Days. 

6  Fishe — War  of  Independence.  1 

6  Repplier — Book  of  Famous  Verse. 


15 


6  Scudder — George  Washington. 

6  Arnold— Vm\vs\^x. 

6  Twombly — Hawaii  and  its  People. 

6  Arnold  Gilbert — First  Book,  Stepping  Stones  to  Literature. 

6  Flolton — Primer. 

6  Perdue  Victoire — Lights  to  Literature,  book  i. 

6  Sprague — Lights  to  Literature,  book  2. 

6  Pa7'due  Victoire — New  Century  Second  Reader. 

6  Aiken — Eyes  and  No  Eyes  and  Other  Stories. 

6  Kupfer — Stories  of  Long  Ago. 

6  Bass — Animal  Life. 

6  Bass — Stories  of  Pioneer  Life. 

6  EcksU'orn — The  Bird  Book. 

6  Pratt — The  Earlier  Colonies,  1601-1733. 

6  Pratt — The  Later  Colonies,  1733-1769. 

6  Pratt — The  Revolution  and  the  Republic. 

6  Burto7i — Story  of  Our  Country. 

6  Perry — Four  American  Explorers. 

6  We7ner—W\vs\QX. 

6  Guerber—^ioxy  of  the  Great  Republic. 

6  Guerber—^ioxy  of  the  English. 

6  Flowers  and  Their  Friends. 

6  Seed  Dispersal. 

6  IVeed— Seed  Travelers. 

6  Secrets  of  the  Woods. 

6  Q'r— Primer. 

6  Brooks — Stories  of  the  Red  Children. 

6  Davis — Nature  Stories  for  Youngest  Readers. 

6  Chase — Stories  from  Birdland,  Vol.  I. 

6  Chase — Stories  from  Birdland,  Vol.  II. 

3  Flagg — A  Year  with  the  Birds. 

3  Flagg — A  Year  Among  the  Trees. 

20  Hart — Colonial  Children  (Source  Readers  in  American  History). 
20  Hawthor7ie — First  Reader. 

20  Hawthorne — Second  Reader. 

20  Hawtho7’ne — Third  Reader. 

20  Hawthor7ie — Fourth  Reader. 

4  Park77ian — LaSalle  and  Discovery  of  Great  West. 

3  Park77ta7t — Pioneers  of  New  France  in  the  New  World. 

3  Park7na7i — Frontenac  and  New  P'rance. 

3  Park7nan — The  Oregon  Trail. 

2  Sets.  Pa7'k7nan — A  Half-Century  of  Conflict  [2  vols.] 

2  Sets.  Pa7’k7nan — Montcalm  and  Wolf  [2  vols.] 

2  Sets.  Pa7-k77ian — Conspiracy  of  Pontiac  [2  vols.] 

I  Fisher— The  Colonial  Era. 

I  Sloane—The  French  War  and  the  Revolution. 

I  Walker— The  Making  of  the  Nation. 

I  Burgess — The  Middle  Period,  1817-1858. 

I  Morse — Abraham  Lincoln  [2  vols.] 

I  Wallace — Ben  Hur,  Tale  of  the  Christ. 

I  Dickens — A  Tale  of  Two  Cities. 

I  Austin — Standish  of  Standish. 

I  Griffis— ^X2.ve  Little  Holland. 


1  Blackmore — Lorna  Doone. 

2  Hale—Thit  Man  Without  a  Country. 

I  Grant— Owx.  Common  Birds  and  How  to  Know  Them. 

1  Wilkins— Antiquities. 

2  Bald'wm— The  Book  Lover. 

2  Kbopman— The  Mastery  of  Books. 

At  the  time  of  going  to  press  part  of  the  fund  is  still  unexpended.  The  total 
number  of  volumes  in  Traveling  Libraries  will  be  2600  at  least. 


Net  Proceeds  Graduating  £.xercises  1902. 


Durand  (rain) 

$13 

60 

Rockton  (more  rain) 

31 

25 

Laona  (no  exercises — rain)  - 

I 

20 

Pecatonica 

8 

10 

Rockford  .... 

35 

45 

Cherry  Valley 

■  '  -  5 

00 

Roscoe  .... 

22 

00 

New  Milford 

27 

30 

Shirland  .... 

8 

60 

Harrison 

20 

20 

Winnebago  .  -  -  - 

15 

00 

Harlem 

27 

00 

Burritt  .... 

10 

00 

Seward  (rain) 

16 

00 

Owen  .  . 

-  ‘  ’  15 

70 

Guilford 

•  25 

20 

Total, 

^281 

60 

In  spite  of  the  rain  much  interest  was  manifested  in  the  work  of  the  child¬ 
ren.  This  is  the  second  year  these  exercises  have  been  held  and  the  Superintend¬ 
ent  is  planning  for  better  things  next  year. 

Diplomas. 

In  all  seventy-six  diplomas  were  given  for  admission  to  high  school.  For 
library  readings  there  were  issued  nearly  iioo  diplomas  with  about  2000  seals.  For 
the  coming  year  credit  will  be  given  for  reading  books  of  the  Winnebago  County 
District  School  Traveling  Library.  A  diploma  will  be  given  for  reading  six  books 
or  more,  but  no  seals  are  promised. 


17 


Programs  of  Exercises, 

The  following  is  a  sample  program  of  the  various  township  exereis-es: 

Second  Annual  Graduating  Exerctes 
of 

Schools  of  Rockford  Township 

at 

MENDELSSOHN  HALL, 

Tuesday  Evening,  June  17th,  1902.  8:15  o'clock. 


Instrumental  Solo,  -  -  •  Vera  Smith 


Discovery  and  Exploration  of  Lousiana, 
Purchase  of  Lousiana, 

Lest  We  ¥  or  gQi— Kipling^ 

Presentation  of  Eighth  Grade  Diplomas, 
Vocal  Duet, 

A  Trip  to  Champaign, 


Pearl  Griggs 
Erma  Witherstine 
Samuel  Mishler 
O.  J.  Kern 
Ruth  and  Louie  Maixner 
{  Orville  Brown 
\  WiLFORD  Johns 


Dialogue  from  Making  of  Illinois, 


Book  Representations, 


Poem— “I  used  to  Kill  the  Birds,” 


Freddie  Thompson 
Henry  Swanson 
Hildur  Swanson 
Erma  Truesdell 
Grace  Gilmore 
Frank  Smith 
Ethel  Smith 
Walter  Ullmark 
Martin  Grip 


Dwight  Holdridge 


Book  Representations, 


[  Beth  Barningham 
J  Hazel  Baldwin 
j  Willie  Storrs 
[  WiLLA  Tape 


Song,  .....  District  No.  io8 
Presentation  of  Reading  Circle  Diplomas  and 

Teachers’  Proffessional  Attainment  Certificates,  O.  J.  Kern 


Song,  .....  Schools 


The  following  is  Wilford  John’s  paper  delivered  at  the  Rockford  Exercises: 

Most  of  the  people  of  Winnebago  county  are  interested  in  the  boys’  ex* 
cursion  to  Champaign  under  the  leadership  of  Superintendent  Kern.  The  trip  was 
a  very  enjoyable  one  and  we  will  try  to  tell  you  about  some  of  the  things  that  we 
saw  there.  We  left  Rockford,  June  5,  at  4:30  a.  m.  on  the  Illinois  Central  rail¬ 
road.  Between  Rockford  and  Chicago  I  saw  thirteen  school  houses,  none  of  which 
had  any  trees  in  the  yard.  At  Chicago  Superintendent  Kern  took  us  up  to  see 
Logan’s  statue.  We  had  time  before  leaving  to  get  a  general  view  of  the  lake 
front,  Michigan  avenue,  and  to  see  the  tallest  mercantile  building  in  the  world. 
We  left  Chicago  at  8:30  a.  m.  In  South  Chicago,  I  saw  the  drainage  canal  and 
the  swinging  bridges. 


18 


At  Kankakee  there  are  stone  quarries,  but  soon  after  leaving  there  I  saw  no 
stone  quarries  and  noticed  that  most  of  the  foundations  of  the  houses  were  of  brick. 
There  was  a  noticeable  change  in  the  appearance  of  the  trees.  I  saw  no  leaf- 
blighted  branches  nor  half-dead  trees.  The  groves  which  I  saw  looked  very  thrifty. 
The  country  from  Chicago  to  Champaign  is  very  level  and  I  saw  many  flooded  fields. 

On  arriving  at  Champaign  about  noon  we  were  conducted  by  Mr.  Fred  H. 
Rankin  to  specially  provided  street  cars  on  which  we  rode  to  the  university 
grounds.  We  were  met  there  by  the  dean  of  the  college  who  conducted  us  to  the 
stock  judging  pavillion  where  we  were  served  with  coffee,  sandwiches  and  cake. 

After  dinner  we  were  shown  through  the  group  of  agricultural  buildings,  each 
professor  explaining  his  part.  This  is  the  largest  group  of  buildings  devoted  to 
this  purpose  in  the  world.  Then  Professor  Shamel  took  us  over  the  fields  and 
showed  and  told  us  about  the  sugar  beets,  cow  peas,  soy  beans,  and  the  wheat 
which  had  been  planted. 

He  showed  us  a  piece  of  land  that  had  been  planted  to  corn  for  twenty-five 
years  without  once  having  been  manured.  He  showed  us  a  field  of  alfalfa  and 
pulled  up  one  of  the  plants  that  we  might  see  the  tubercles  that  deposit  the 
nitrogen  taking  the  air  into  the  soil. 

Here  also  they  were  experimenting  on  planting  corn,  oats,  clover,  cow  peas 
and  soy  beans  at  different  depths.  We  were  shown  the  horse  department,  where 
they  have  some  fine  specimens  of  the  Morgan  horse. 

We  next  went  to  the  dairy  barns  and  saw  the  herd  of  cows  under  test.  In  the 
beef  department  they  have  three  carloads  of  cattle  feeding  for  a  test.  They  also 
have  some  fine  specimens  of  Polled  Angus  and  Shorthorns.  From  the  cattle  de¬ 
partment  we  went  to  the  orchards  where  the  spraying  of  trees  was  explained  to  us. 
In  the  evening  we  were  entertained  at  Menor  hall.  Each  professor  gave  a  short 
talk  explaining  his  department  and  what  was  being  done  in  iL 

Friday  morning  we  met  at  the  Armory  and  were  conducted  through  the 
gymnasium  and  the  engineering  hall.  On  the  steps  of  this  building  we  had  our 
pictures  taken.  First  the  boys  who  belonged  to  the  experiment  club,  then  all  the 
boys  under  twenty-one  years,  then  last  the  older  people.  Some  of  the  other  build¬ 
ings  which  we  visited  are  the  electrical  and  the  mechanical  engineering  buildings, 
the  hydraulic  building,  the  central  heating  plant,  the  natural  history  hall  and  the 
library  building.  The  latter  is  considered  the  finest  building  on  the  grounds  and 
contains  50,000  volumes.  Having  some  time  left  I  revisited  the  museum  in  natural 
history  hall. 

The  electrical  and  mechanical  engineering  buildings  seemed  to  be  of  special 
interests  to  the  boys.  One  of  the  professors  said  he  thought  it  was  because  the 
wheels  went  round.  Perhaps  he  was  right.  But  I,  for  one,  would  like  to  take  a 
course  in  this  or  some  similar  institution  and  find  out  what  makes  the  wheels  go 
round. 


Educational  Session  of  State  Farmers’  Institute. 


Thursday  Evening,  February  20,  1902,  7:15  O'clock,  Opera  House, 

R.ockford,  Ill. 

PROGRAM. 

The  program  was  in  charge  of  the  County  Superintendent  and  given  by 
pupils  of  our  district  schools.  Their  excellent  work  reflected  great  credit  upon  their 
teachers. 

PART  1. 

Music — Rockford  High  School  Orchestra. 

Song— Winnebago ’’—Pupils  of  Districts  46,  58,  61,  68,  69,  70,  71, 

107,  1 13,  202.  Led  by  Mr.  George  Smith,  Instructor 
in  Music,  Winnebago  County  District  Schools. 

Library  Spirit  in  Winnebago  County  Schools,  Illustrated. 

1.  Illinois  Pupils  Reading  Circle — Rea  Frisbie,  District  71. 

2.  District  School  Traveling  Libraries,  Wilford  Johns,  Dist.  46. 

19 


Piano  Solo — “  Melaine  ” — C.  Bohm,  op.  278— Paul  Schad,  Dist.  113. 
School  Room  Decoration  in  Winnebago  County  Schools,  Illustrated 
with  Pictures  from  School  Rooms. 

1.  Lillian  Remsburg  ■  -  -  District  6g 

2.  Hattie  Kingsbury,  ...  .  District  202 

Patriotic  Exercise,  -  -  -  Pupils  of  District  69 

Whistling  Solo — Silvery  Wave,  -  Miss  Carrie  M,  St.  John 

PART  2-8:30  O’CLOCK. 

Stereopticon  Lecture — “The  Farmers  and  the  Schools” — O.  T. 

Bright,  Chicago,  Superintendent  Schools,  Cook  County. 


A  Stranger’s  Opinion. 

The  children  will  be  interested  in  knowing  what  the  strangers  thought  of 
their  work.  The  following  is  what  the  Bloomington  Pantagraph  said  in  part. 

“The  educational  session  of  the  Illinois  Farmers’  institute  at  Rockford  came 
Thursday  night  and  was  prepared  and  managed  by  O.  J.  Kern,  Superintendent  of 
Winnebago  County  schools,  and  was  one  of  the  greatest  features  of  the  institute, 
attracting  and  holding  an  audience  of  1400. 

One  hundred  and  seventy-five  pupils  from  ten  schools  of  that  county  sang 
‘Winnebago’,  a  beautiful  bit  of  home  enthusiasm,  with  a  solid  basis  of  fact.  This 
kind  of  singing  by  well  trained  boys  and  girls,  with  all  the  fresh  ardor  of  joyful 
youth,  carries  with  it  charni  and  zest  that  is  lost  in  the  fine  rendering  of  the  artist 
or  professional.  It  is  putting  it  mildly  to  say  that  the  farm  people  present  were 
proud  of  (and  all  were  pleased  with)  the  appearance  and  work  of  the  rural  young 
folks  that  crowded  the  stage. 

Library  Work. 

The  next  number  was  an  illustration  of  the  library  spirit  in  Winnebago 
County  Schools.  Two  little  boys  acquitted  themselves  splendidly  in  speaking  with 
very  composed  manner,  distinct  utterance  and  fine  effect  to  the  great  throng  that 
slanted  away  back  for  half  a  block  in  two  decks,  ‘why,  they  talk  better  than  some 
of  the  women  on  the  program’,  said  an  observing  member  of  the  audience.  They 
talked  to  be  heard  and  were  heard — a  point  of  considerable  importance  in  address¬ 
ing  a  large  audience.  Their  tones  were  not  very  loud,  but  great  care  was  taken 
to  speak  every  syllable  plainly  and  with  vigor  enough  to  move  the  sound  waves 
through  the  room.  ******* 


School  Room  Decoration. 

The  next  topic  was  ‘School  Room  Decoration  in  Winnebago  County  Schools.’ 
Eight  fine  pictures,  well  framed,  taken  from  county  schools,  were  placed  on  easels 
in  a  row  across  the  stage.  Lillian  Remsburg  and  Hattie  Kingsbury,  school  pupils, 
spoke  with  excellent  effect  of  the  topic  in  general  and  interpreted  each  picture  im 
detail.  ******** 


Patriotic  £.xercises« 

A  great  deal  was  included  in  the  next  brief  title,  ‘Patriotic  Exercises’,  by 
pupils  from  district  69.  The  exercises  lasted  over  an  hour  and  were  the  crowning 
stage  effect  of  the  session.  Twenty-four  girls  in  white  dresses  carrying  red,  white 
and  blue  sashes,  gave  a  beautiful  drill  with  forty  kinds  of  evolutions  in  marching, 
with  arm  movements,  posing,  etc.,  in  ranks  and  files  and  groups  and  masses.  All 
this  in  perfect  order  without  a  word  of  direction,  with  the  changing  lights  and' 
stage  effect,  this  made  a  great  showing.  Pictures  of  Washington  and  Lincoln  were 
shown.  The  boys  joined  the  girls  on  the  stage  and  all  sang  ‘Mt.  Vernon’.  One 
girl  spoke  of  Washington,  another  of  Lincoln.  Then  came  more  marching,  a 
tableau,  ‘Tenting  on  the  Old  Camp  Ground’  and  the  singing  of  ‘The  Star  Spangledi 
Banner’,  during  which  a  great  flag  slid  into  view. 


20 


E,ffect  of  it  All. 


This  was  patriotism  personified;  its  living  breath  filled  the  atmosphere;  it 
was  heard  and  seen  and  felt.  Many  taking  features  cannot  be  described  in  detail. 
It  was  a  great  object  lesson,  and  it  was  not  lost  on  the  audience.  The  bright,  pure 
hopeful  faces  of  the  children,  the  multiplied  enthusiasm  of  numbers,  and  the  com¬ 
bined  effect  was  something  not  easily  forgotten.  It  thoroughly  entertained  the 
audience,  but  it  did  far  more;  it  was  the  most  contagious  form  of  education  upon 
one  of  the  liveliest  topics  of  the  day  and  given  by  the  county  in  the  forefront  of 
this  worthy  campaign.  Ideas  in  song  and  story,  in  the  concrete  and  in  the  living 
minds  and  bodies  of  175  children  found  ready  and  pleasing  interpretation.” 


Winnebago  County  Farmer  Boys’  Experiment  Club, 

One  result  of  the  State  Farmers’  Institute  was  the  organization  of  the  Win¬ 
nebago  County  Farmer  Boys’  Experiment  Club,  in  the  office  of  the  County  Super¬ 
intendent  of  Schools,  at  Rockford,  Ill.,  February  22,  1902.  The  charter  members 
of  the  club  number  thirty-three,  boys  who  met  that  morning  and  listened  to  talks 
by  Prof.  Shamel  and  Supt.  Rankin  of  the  Agricultural  College  extension  work. 
Since  then  the  membership  has  been  increased  to  one  hundred  and  fourteen  boys 
between  the  ages  of  9  and  21  years.  The  boys  have  been  doing  experiment  work, 
making  original  investigations  under  the  direction  of  the  faculty.  College  of  Agri¬ 
culture. 

They  have  tested  vitality  of  seed  corn  and  clover,  by  planting  a  certain  num¬ 
ber  of  grains  of  seed,  watching  the  growth  and  reporting  the  results  to  the  faculty. 
Each  boy  received  two  pounds  of  sugar  beet  seed  and  was  asked  to  plant  the  seed 
and  cultivate  the  plants  according  to  directions  in  a  leaflet  which  was  mailed  to 
him.  When  the  beets  are  matured  each  boy  will  send  selected  specimens  to  the 
college  of  agriculture  so  analysis  may  be  made  to  test  for  percentage  of  sugar. 
The  remainder  of  the  beet  crop  will  be  fed  by  the  boys  to  the  animals  on  the  farm. 

Smut  in  Oats. 

In  July,  they,  occording  to  directions,  mailed  them,  made  investigations  with 
reference  to  smut  in  oats. 

Each  boy  was  directed  to  go  into  four  different  fields  and  make  three  counts 
in  various  parts  of  the  same  field  by  placing  a  barrel  hoop  over  as  many  stalks  as 
the  hoop  might  enclose,  and  then  counting  and  recording  the  results.  These  were 
reported  to  Supt.  Rankin. 

Well,  What  of  it? 

Sure  enough,  what  does  it  all  amount  to  ?  In  school  we  urge  elementary 
science  work,  such  as  seed  germination,  etc.  For  boys  to  test  vitality  of  seed  corn 
and  clover  is  good  science  observation  work.  In  school,  the  children  making  investi¬ 
gations  for  injurious  plants,  insects,  etc.  Do  they  do  it?  For  boys  to  investigate 
for  smut  in  oats  and  estimate  the  loss  is  practical  education.  For  the  boys  to  fig¬ 
ure  out  the  percentage  of  smut  is  practical  arithmetic. 

Help  From  Teachers. 

To  be  sure  an  organization  of  boys  must  be  piloted  and  encouraged  or  it  will 
fail.  And  in  this  connection  teachers  can  render  valuable  assistance  to  the  boys 
in  making  their  investigations. 


21 


Francis  Bailey,  Age  14,  District  104,  July,  1902. 

This  illustrates  his  experiment  field  of  sugar  beets.  Francis  went  on  the  educational  excursion. 


Clarence  Wallin,  Age  14,  District  No.  114,  August  1902. 
His  field  of  prize-growing  corn. 


22 


John  and  Charles  Mishler,  Ages  14  and  12,  District  No.  113.  August  1902. 
With  their  experiment  field  of  sugar  beets. 


Earl  Thompson,  Age  13,  District  113.  August  1902. 

His  prize  corn-growing  field.  He  went  on  the  educational  excursion  to  Champaign. 


23 


The  Farmers’  Institute  and  the  Country  School. 

The  Farmers’  Institute  sustains  a  vital  relation  to  the  country  school  and 
the  country  child.  With  the  month  of  November  these  institutes  are  fairly  under 
way  in  the  different  counties  of  Illinois.  The  amount  of  attention  given  to  the 
condition  of  the  country  school  building  and  premises  and  the  educational  advance¬ 
ment  of  the  country  child,  by  the  various  institute  meetings  will  be  a  pretty  fair 
indication  of  the  value  farmers  place  on  the  requirements  for  the  training  of  their 
children.  The  institutes  are  doing  a  great  work.  It  is  estimated  that  last  year  in 
the  United  States  500,000  farmers  were  effected  by  these  meetings.  This  seems 
encouraging.  But  when  we  remember  that  there  are  10,000,000  farmers  in  our 
country,  then  the  ratio  is  i  to  20  of  those  who  attend  and  those  who  do  not.  The 
problem  is  how  to  interest  the  20  who  do  not  attend  the  meetings. 

One  Way. 

When  I  was  a  boy  on  the  farm  there  was  no  such  thing  as  a  farmers’  insti¬ 
tute.  It  would  have  been  a  great  help  to  me  if  there  had  been  and  if  I  had  been 
induced  to  atte^id.  To  illustrate.  Strange  as  it  may  seem,  I  never  knew  the  use 
of  the  corn-tassel  till  after  I  left  the  farm.  There  was  absolutely  no  elementary 
science  instruction  either  in  the  district  school  or  on  the  farm.  I  never  heard  of 
a  barren  stalk  of  corn  or  smut  in  oats. 

Yes,  I  ate  corn-bread  and  lived  in  spite  of  my  ignorance  of  pollen  and  fertili¬ 
zation.  And  it  is  equally  true  that  I  might  have  swallowed  corn  juice  and  died  in 
the  same  degree  of  enlightenment.  But  that  is  not  the  thought.  And  it  has  seemed 
to  me  that  at  the  various  county  institutes  I  have  attended  for  the  past  two  years  and 
noted  almost  total  absence  of  boys  that  there  should  be  an  effort  made  to  interest 
the  boys  and  secure  their  regular  attendance. 

How  Interest  the  Boys. 

This  is  a  hard  question  to  answer.  We  need  to  understand  boys  before  we 
attempt  to  guide  them.  We  need  to  sympathize  with  them  and  encourage  them. 
And  I  wish,  as  a  brief  preparation  for  handling  boys,  every  parent  and  teacher 
would  read  two  books  we  are  putting  into  the  Winnebago  County  District  School 
traveling  libraries  this  year.  They  are  “In  a  Boy’s  Town,”  and  the  “Court  of 
Boyville.”  They  give  the  reader  a  wonderful  insight  into  a  boy’s  character. 

Program  at  the  County  Institute. 

The  officers  of  the  Winnebago  County  Farmers’  Institute  have  requested 
the  County  Superintendent  to  prepare  a  program  for  boys  at  the  coming  institute 
in  February  when  an  afternoon  will  be  given  over  to  the  Winnebago  County  Boys’ 
Experiment  Club.  This  is  a  start  towards  interesting  and  securing  the  attendance 
of  boys  in  our  country.  Only  the  future  can  reveal  the  success.  But  if  hard  work 
counts  for  anything,  that  session  will  be  of  intense  interest  from  start  to  finish  and 
there  will  be  many  boys  present,  weather  permitting. 

Character  of  the  Program. 

The  County  Superintendent  is  putting  much  earnest  thought  into  the  make¬ 
up  of  the  program.  In  this  he  will  be  guided  by  the  spirit  of  the  recommendation 
of  the  directors  of  the  Illinois  State  Farmers’  Institute,  viz:  “  That  entertainments 
foreign  to  institute  lines,  consisting  of  brass  bands,  comic  songs  and  recitations, 
school  contests  and  theatricals,  etc.,  be  discouraged.”  And  also,  “That  at  least 
one  session  of  each  institute  be  conducted  by  the  farmers’  sons  and  daughters  and 
that  the  program  of  this  session  be  made  up  of  topics  of  special  interest  to  them. 
That  the  students  who  hold  scholarships  in  the  College  of  Agriculture  and  Do¬ 
mestic  Science  be  invited  by  the  counties  represented  by  these  scholarships  to  take 

24 


part  on  the  program  of  the  County  Institute  to  discuss  the  questions  pertaining  to 
the  college  work.”  Animated  by  this  spirit  an  earnest  effort  will  be  made  to  make 
the  program  of  the  boys,  by  the  boys  and  for  the  boys,  a  program  truly  educational 
in  its  character  so  that  boys  shall  not  vanish  from  the  face  of  the  farm. 

Suggestions  from  the  Boys. 

'In  July  last  I  sent  to  each  member  of  our  Boys’  Club  a  circular  asking  for 
answers  to  various  questions.  I  give  one  question  with  a  few  answers. 

Question. 

What  kind  of  a  program  do  you  think  we  ought  to  have  for  the  Boys'  afternoon 
oit  the  County  Farmers'  histitute  in  February  f 

Answers. 

1st.  “  I  think  a  talk  from  several  of  the  boys  of  the  Experiment  Club  would 
be  all  right.” 

2nd.  “  I  think  we  ought  to  have  a  program  that  we  boys  will  be  interested 
in  farming  and  make  it  the  most  beautiful  place  on  earth.” 

3d.  “I  think  each  boy  ought  to  tell  how  his  corn  and  beets  grew  and  what 
he  did  with  them.” 

4th.  ‘‘  I  am  willing  to  have  Mr.  Kern  prepare  the  program.” 

5th.  “I  would  like  to  have  Mr.  Shamel  talk  about  corn  or  something  like 

that.” 

6th.  “  Something  that  will  interest  the  boys  in  their  corn  growing  contest 
and  see  if  they  would  like  to  go  to  Champaign  next  year.” 

7th.  “I  think  speaking  of  farmers  and  how  school  yards  should  be  filled 
with  trees  and  flowers.” 

Corn  Contest  and  Investigations. 

Last  spring  each  boy  sent  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Winnebago  County 
Farmers’  Institute  for  a  pint  of  seed  corn  selected  by  the  officers  of  the  institute. 
This  was  planted  and  each  boy  is  to  receive  a  prize  for  an  exhibit  of  corn.  The 
boys  of  the  club  also  have  been  doing  experiment  work  in  corn  under  the  direction 
of  the  College  of  Agriculture  at  Urbana,  Illinois.  Three  boys  to  my  personal 
knowledge  visited  four  different  cornfields  in  one  township  and  made  four  different 
counts  in  each  field  for  barren  stalks.  The  average  per  cent  of  barren  stalks  in 
the  first  field  was  13  per  cent;  in  the  second  6  per  cent;  in  the  third  4  per  cent;  and 
in  the  fourth  3  per  cent. 

Each  boy  was  requested  also  to  make  observations  with  reference  to  the 
time  of  the  appearance  of  the  tassel  and  the  silk  on  a  stalk  of  corn.  “  What  does 
that  amount  to  ?”  you  say.  Well,  what  would  you?  Would  you  have  a  ten-year- 
old  boy  take  a  compound  microscope  of  10,000  diameters  and  with  a  cross-section 
of  a  grain  of  pollen  know  the  whole  mystery  of  life  in  a  single  sitting?  Nay,  rather 
have  him  use  his  eyes,  a  little  observation,  this  week,  more  next  week,  more  next 
year  until  the  habit  of  observing  is  fixed,  and  silently  there  grows  within  him  the 
power  to  judge  and  he  becomes  an  educated  man  because  he  sees  things  with  his 
eyes.  I  wish  everyone  who  has  anything  to  do  with  the  training  of  children  would 
read  the  chapter  on  Habit  in  James’  “Talks  to  Teachers  on  Psychology  and  to 
Students  on  Life’s  Ideals.”  That  chapter  alone  is  worth  the  price  of  the  book. 

Word  of  Caution. 

You  must  not  expect  too  much  of  boys  at  first.  In  order  to  get  things  done 
one  will  need  to  camp  on  a  boy’s  trail  and  keep  after  him.  That  is,  you  will,  if  he 
is  a  normal,  a  natural  boy.  In  spite  of  discouragements  and  seeming  lack  of  in¬ 
terest  on  the  part  of  many  boys,  come  up  smiling  every  time.  Boys  will  not  follow 
any  other  kind  of  a  leader.  'This  is  our  first  year  in  Winnebago  County  in  this 
kind  of  work  and  we  will  know  better  next  year  how  to  do  things. 

I  have  mailed  to  each  member  of  the  club  a  set  of  Shamel’s  leaflets  on  the 
Study  of  Farm  Crops,  published  by  The  School  News.  The  boys  have  enjoyed 
them.  There  is  a  great  field  for  co-operation  of  the  Farmers’  Institute  and  the 
district  school  in  the  direction  of  the  material,  social,  moral  and  intellectual  con¬ 
ditions  affecting  the  country  school  and  the  country  child. 


25 


Orville  Brown,  Age  12,  District  68,  Sept.  1902,  with  his  prize  corn  growing  field. 
A  member  of  the  educational  excursion. 


Evans  Kern,  Age  10,  School  District  69,  a  member  of  the 
boys  experiment  club,  August  1902. 

He  is  standing  by  his  prize  growing  corn.  During  July  and  August  he  watered  his 
corn  twice  each  week  with  a  rake.  That  is,  he  took  Prof.  Bailey’s  advise  and  raked  the 
ground  twice  each  week  to  produce  a  surface  mulch  of  fine  soil  to  prevent  evaporation  of 
moisture.  He  went  on  the  educational  excursion  to  the  College  of  Agriculture  and  the  experi¬ 
ment  farm  at  Urbana,  Ill. 


26 


George  Halley,  Age  i6,  School  District  No.  8,  a  member  of  the 

BOYS  EXPERIMENT  CLUB,  AUGUST  1902. 


He  is  standing  in  his  field  of  sugar  beets  while  his  prize  growing  corn  is  to  his  right. 
He  went  on  the  educational  excursion  and  as  he  had  never  been  on  a  railroad  train  before,  you 
can  imagine  the  trip  was  an  inspiration  to  him. 


Edom  Black,  Age  17,  School  District  42,  Sept,  i,  1902,  a  member 
OF  THE  boys’  experiment  CLUB. 

He  is  standing  beside  his  father  Mr.  John  Black,  Chairman  of  the  Committee  on 
Education  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors.  Mr.  Black  has  an  equal  interest  with  his  boy  in  the 
experiment  field  of  sugar  beets.  They  are  keeping  account  of  every  item  of  interest  with 
reference  to  this  experiment  work.  I'hese  facts  are  to  be  reported  at  the  Boys’  Session  of  the 
County  Farmers’  Institute.  Here  is  the  secret  of  work  of  this  kind.  The  father  takes  an  in¬ 
terest  in  his  boy  and  goes  with  him.  Mr.  Black  inspected  the  centralized  schools  of  Ohio 
and  took  two  of  his  boys  on  the  educational  excursion  to  Urbana.  He  is  interested  in  building 
up  the  country  schools  and  was  instrumental  in  securing  appropriations  for  our  district  school 
traveling  libraries. 


27 


An  E^ducational  E^xcursion. 

Not  all  of  the  education  for  the  country  child  is  acquired  in  the  country 
school.  It  has  been  said  that  the  farm  educates  the  child  as  much  as  the  school. 
The  time  is  near  at  hand  when  we  must  teach  more  practical  things  in  the  district 
schools.  The  child  should  visit  places  and  see  things  for  himself.  Much  may 
thus  be  learned  within  the  limits  of  the  average  district.  We  spend  too  much  time 
in  reading  about  things  without  seeing  them.  The  polar  bear  gets  more  of  the 
child’s  attention  in  books  than  does  the  study  of  an  obnoxious  weed  on  the  farm. 
The  average  country  child  will  hardly  be  called  upon  to  study  arctic  animals  in 
their  native  environment,  but  there  are  many  things  worth  learning  in  an  excursion 
of  an  hour  or  two  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  district  schoolhouse. 

When  our  boy’s  experiment  club  was  organized  it  occurred  to  me  that  if  the 
boys  of  the  club  and  other  boys  of  the  county  and  their  parents  could  have  an 
opportunity  of  visiting  the  State  College  of  Agriculture  and  the  fine  experiment 
farm  at  Urbana,  it  would  have  a  great  influence  upon  the  educational  and  agricul¬ 
tural  interests  of  Winnebago  County.  For  three  months  I  thought,  talked  and 
worked  to  bring  about  such  an  excursion.  And  on  Thursday,  June  5,  1902,  one 
hundred  thirty  boys  and  one  hundred  fifty  adults  —  nearly  six  coaches  full  —  left 
Rockford  for  Urbana.  So  far  as  I  know  it  was  the  first  distinctively  farmers’ 
educational  excursion  from  Winnebago  County  to  a  great  educational  institution, 
the  University  of  Illinois. 

Transportation. 

Rockford  is  two  hundred  fourteen  miles  from  Urbana,  on  the  Illinois  Central 
Railroad,  via  Chicago.  After  a  brief  correspondence  with  General  Passenger 
Agent  A.  W.  Hanson,  we  were  given  a  rate  of  ^2.50  for  round  trip.  This  was  but 
a  little  more  than  one-half  cent  per  mile.  We  were  shown  every  courtesy  by  the 
officials  of  the  road.  Our  coaches  were  attached  to  regular  trains,  leaving  Chicago 
on  the  New  Orleans  limited  and  making  schedule  time.  Returning  we  had  a 
special  from  Chicago  to  Rockford,  run  as  the  second  section  of  the  Omaha  limited, 
which  makes  but  one  stop  between  Chicago  and  Rockford.  Some  of  the  boys  drove 
twenty  miles  to  reach  Rockford  for  the  early  train,  which  left  at  4:30  a.  m.  As  far 
as  transportation  facilities  were  concerned  nothing  further  could  be  desired. 

Arrival  at  Urbana. 

We  arrived  at  Champaign  about  noon  and  street  cars  were  in  readiness  to 
take  us  to  the  University  grounds  at  Urbana.  After  a  lunch,  served  us  by  the  Uni¬ 
versity  in  the  stock  judging  pavillion,  the  afternoon  was  spent  in  inspecting  the 
experiment  farms  under  the  management  of  the  faculty  of  the  College  of  Agricul¬ 
ture.  Supt.  Rankin,  of  the  Agriculture  College  Extension  Work,  had  met  us  about 
twenty  miles  north  of  Champaign  and  safely  conducted  us  to  Urbana.  While  at 
lunch  we  were  warmly  greeted  by  Dean  Davenport  and  his  assistants,  and  through¬ 
out  our  entire  stay  every  courtesy  was  shown  us  and  every  one  tried  to  make  our 
visit  as  pleasant  as  possible.  They  succeeded. 

A  Walk  Over  the  Experiment  Farm. 

The  ladies  of  the  party  preferred  to  remain  at  the  College  of  Agriculture  and 
inspect  the  domestic  science  department  while  the  boys  and  men  under  the  leader¬ 
ship  of  Supt.  Rankin  and  Prof.  Shamel  were  conducted  over  the  farm.  The  grow¬ 
ing  crops  were  inspected  and  minute  explanations  were  given  how  they  were  being 


28 


cared  for  and  what  experiments  were  being  made.  We  inspected  sugar  beets,  corn, 
soy  beans,  cow  peas,  oats,  wheat  and  alfalfa.  Some  roots  were  pulled  up  of  this 
last  named  plant,  and  the  boys  were  shown  the  tubercles  that  deposit  in  the  ground 
the  nitrogen  taken  from  the  air. 

Next  we  were  shown  through  dairy  and  feed  barns.  The  boys  saw  fine  speci¬ 
mens  of  Polled  Angus  and  Shorthorn  cattle.  The  afternoon  closed  with  a  visit  to- 
the  orchard  and  gardens  and  spraying  plant,  etc.  Space  will  permit  of  only  the 
briefest  mention  of  the  afternoon’s  inspection.  Each  member  of  the  faculty  of  the 
College  of  Agriculture  was  present  to  explain  his  particular  field  of  operations,  and' 
took  the  keenest  delight  in  answering  our  questions  and  making  our  visit  profitable. 
On  Thusday  evening  a  meeting  was  held  in  Morrow  Hall,  and  brief  talks  were 
made  by  various  members  of  the  faculty  of  the  College  of  Agriculture.  Each 
professor  told  how  he  was  trying  to  carry  out  the  purpose  of  the  great  agriculture^ 
equipment  we  had  just  inspected. 

The  Second  Day. 

Friday  morning,  June  6,  was  spent  inspecting  the  other  buildings  of  the 
University  of  Illinois.  We  were  shown  through  the  armory,  gymnasium,  electri¬ 
cal  and  mechanical  engineering  halls,  labratories,  library,  etc.  This  of  itself  was 
a  liberal  education  for  the  boys.  The  boys  are  still  talking  about  the  trip.  One 
district  school  of  Winnebago  County  had  eleven  boys  attending  school  at  the  time 
of  the  excursion,  and  all  members  of  the  Boy’s  Club.  Eight  of  the  eleven  went 
on  the  excursion.  And  the  teacher  told  me  that  during  the  rest  of  the  term  the 
boys  had  plenty  to  say  in  recitation  time  about  what  they  had  seen. 

The  Future  Effect. 

To  be  sure,  it  is  too  soon  to  say  what  the  effect  will  be.  We  will  wait 
patiently  for  time  to  show  results  in  quickened  aspirations  and  stronger  characters 
in  growing  boys.  The  results  will  be  all  right.  If  twelve  boys  out  of  one  hun¬ 
dred  and  thirty  become  strong  men  in  the  county  because  of  this  excursion,  just 
think  of  the  good  twelve  men  can  do  in  a  county  for  the  advancement  of  the  farm 
and  school.  Personally  I  am  much  gratified  with  the  success  of  the  excursion.  We 
hope  to  go  again  next  year. 

The  Cost  of  Success. 

Two  days  previous  to  our  excursion,  a  party  of  one  hundred  and  thirty  went 
to  Urbana  from  McHenry  County,  under  the  auspices  of  the  McHenry  County 
Farmers’  Picnic  Association.  And  the  Bloomington,  Illinois,  Paragraph — a  news¬ 
paper  earnestly  advocating  improvement  in  the  farm  and  country  school — very 
kindly  spoke  as  follows  of  the  McHenry  County  and  Winnebago  County  Educational- 
Excursions: 

“  They  make  careful  plans,  and  good  ones  and  start  them  in  operation,  but  do 
not  stop  with  any  mere  theory  or  formal  procedure,  however  perfect  or  unique,  but 
get  out  in  the  field,  see  how  their  plans  are  working,  and  work  them,  revising  them 
if  necessary,  meeting  any  deficiency,  putting  the  whole  weight  of  their  personalty 
and  influence  into  the  project,  meeting  doubts,  overcoming  objections,  securing, 
personal  pledges  absolutely  doing  things — and  then  people  wonder  why  they  sue- 
succeed. 

“  Their  spirit  and  methods  should  be  studied,  emulated  and  adapted  to  the 
local  conditions  by  other  would-be-successful  workers  in  a  similar  field.  The  price 
of  success  seems  to  be  devotion,  work,  plenty  of  it,  and  the  ingenuity  of  plan  that 
comes  from  great  earnestness  and  continued  brooding  over  things  desired  to  be 
accomplished.” 


29 


Members  of  the  Winnebago  County  Boys’  Experiment  Club  In  Front  of  the  College 
OF  Engineering,  at  Urbana,  III.,  June  6,  1902. 


Members  of  the  Boys’  Experiment  Club  and  Other  Boys  of  the  Educational  Ex¬ 
cursion  in  Front  of  the  College  of  Engineering,  at  Urbana,  III.,  June  6,  1902. 

A  number  of  these  boys  had  never  been  outside  of  Winnebago.  A  few  had  never 
been  on  a  railroad  train.  At  Chicago  they  had  an  opportunity  to  see  Logan’s  Statue,  Lake 
Michigan,  the  Art  Institute  and  the  tall  buildings  along  Michigan  Ave.  This  is  no  small 
thing  for  the  boys  who  had  never  seen  Chicago.  This  entire  excursion  will  mean  much  to  the 
future  of  these  boys. 


30 


Adult  Members  of  the  Winnebago  County  Farmers’  Educational  Excursion, 

June  6,  1902. 

All  the  officers  of  the  Farmers’  Institute  of  Winnebago  County  and  other  influential 
members  were  present.  Here  are  fathers  who  have  had  or  now  have  children  attending  the 
University  of  Illinois.  These  farmers  now  feel  as  they  have  never  before  experienced  that  this 
great  institution  belongs  to  them  in  common  with  all  the  people  of  Illinois,  and  deserving  their 
heartiest  support,  although  living  far  away  along  the  Wisconsin  line. 


School  Gardens. 

A  certain  writer  has  said,  “Truth  is  always  rejected  when  it  comes  to  a  man 
for  the  first  time,  its  evolutions  being  as  follows:  First,  we  say,  the  thing  is  rank 
heresy  and  contrary  to  the  Bible.  Second,  we  say,  the  matter  really  amounts  to 
nothing,  one  way  or  the  other.  Third,  we  declare  we  always  believed  it.” 

Now,  in  Winnebago  County,  school  gardens  are  in  the  first  degree.  That 
is,  most  people  say  “They  are  a  fad  and  contrary  to  the  Sacred  Course  of  Study.” 

But  never  mind.  Just  keep  on  and  it  will  not  be  long  before  the  great  ma¬ 
jority  have  taken  the  third  degree  and  the  grand  pass  word  will  be,  “We  always 
believed  that  the  school  grounds  should  be  made  beautiful  and  attractive  for 
children.” 

School  Gardens  and  the  Teaching  of  Agriculture. 

If  the  fnndamental  principles  of  Agriculture  are  to  be  taught  in  our  country 
schools  with  any  degree  of  success,  a  small  experimental  garden  will  be  necessary. 
The  average  school  ground  has  ample  space  for  work  of  this  kind. 

Secretary  Wilson  and  the  School  Garden. 

Hon.  James  Wilson,  secretary  of  agriculture,  protests  against  the  present 
and  pleads  for  the  future  in  country  education.  He  says:  “But  considering  the 
Americans  pay  more  money  for  public  education  than  any  other  people  on  earth,  a 
comparatively  small  proportion  of  the  sum  is  devoted  to  stimulating  and  aiding  the 


31 


half  of  our  population  who  cultivate  the  soil.  The  tendency  of  primary  educa¬ 
tion  has  been  to  lead  the  country  youth  away  from  the  farm  instead  of  helping  him 
in  the  study  of  those  sciencies  relating  to  production.  It  would  be  politic  and 
patriotic  to  incorporate  into  the  farm  youth’s  education  some  knowledge  that  shall 
bear  more  directly  upon  his  future  life  and  work.”  And  thus  he  pleads  for  the 
country  school  garden.  “Flowers  should  abound  in  the  school  house  grounds. 
They  are  among  the  best  of  educators,  for  they  develope  taste  and  a  love  for  the 
beautiful,  and  make  men  sensitive  to  the  attractive  and  lovely,  in  town  or  country, 
in  field  or  forest.  *  *  *  The  young  farmer  attending  the  district  school  could 

readily  be  taught  what  a  plant  gets  from  the  soil  and  what  it  gets  from  the  air. 
The  several  grasses  could  be  planted  and  their  office  in  filling  the  soil  with  humus, 
enabling  the  soil  to  retain  moisture,  could  be  explained.  The  legumes — peas, 
beans,  clover  and  alfalfa — could  be  grown  in  the  school  house  yard,  and  during 
recess  or  at  the  noon  hour  the  teacher  could  interest  the  students  by  digging  up  a 
young  pea  or  clover  root  and  showing  the  nodules,  whose  office  is  to  bring  the  free 
nitrogen  from  the  atmosphere  and  fix  it  in  the  soil.” 

What  We  Can  Do. 

In  the  first  place  we  can  not  bring  the  German  school  garden  to  America  all 
at  once.  We  can  make  a  beginning.  With  the  co-operation  of  all,  trees  and 
flowers  can  be  planted  at  but  little  or  no  expense  beyond  labor.  A  small  sum  of 
money  from  the  school  funds  will  put  a  neat  fence  around  the  grounds  and  paint 
the  school  house.  Let  us  seriously  consider  the  educational  effect  of  surroundings 
and  earnestly  set  about  changing  some  things.  What  districts  will  be  the  leaders?’ 


Prizes  for  Beautifying  School  Houses. 

Now  trees  do  not  cost  much.  I  have  sent  literature  on  tree  planting,  school 
gardens,  etc.,  to  every  teacher,  every  director  and  looo  farmers  in  the  county. 
One  result  has  been  that  last  spring  425  trees  were  set  out  in  46  districts.  There 
are  several  school  grounds  yet  without  trees.  What  is  the  reason  ? 

Youth’s  Companion  offer. 

Here  is  what  that  splendid  paper  says  :  / 1 

“  We  are  so  desirous  of  having  every  school  in  your  county  take  an  enthusiastic  interest 
in  this  work  that  we  make  you  a  special  offer.  To  every  public  school  in  Winnebago  County 
which  improves  its  grounds  or  buildings  between  April  i,  1902,  and  March  31,  1903,  we  will 
present  eight  historical  pictures,  reproduced  from  the  celebrated  paintings  by  John  Trumbull, 
each  picture  fourteen  by  eighteen  inches  in  size,  and  suitable  for  framing.  The  titles  of  the 
pictures  we  shall  give  are:  “The  Battle  of  Bunker  Hill,”  “The  Surrender  of  Burgoyne,” 
“  The  Battle  of  Princeton,”  “The  Death  of  Montgomery,”  “Washington  Resigning  His- 
Commission,”  “Signing  the  Declaration  of  Independence.”  “The  surrender  of  Cornwallis,” 
and  ‘  ‘  W ashington .  ’  ’ 

In  addition  to  this  offer,  we  will  give  an  American  bunting  flag,  six  by  nine  feet  in  size,  to* 
each  of  the  six  schools  in  your  county  which  show  the  most  enterprise,  and  which  are  most 
successful  in  beautifying  their  grounds  or  buildings.  Your  County  Superintendent  will  act  as 
judge,  or  will  appoint  judges  to  decide  upon  the  merits  of  the  respective  school  improvements. 
You  can  write  to  him  for  any  information.  The  pictures  and  flags  will  be  forwarded  by  us- 
as  soon  as  we  have  been  notified  by  Superintendent  Kern  of  the  successful  contestants. 

Very  sincerely  yours. 

Perry  Mason  Company.. 


32 


District  No.  104,  Winnebago  County,  Illinois. 

July,  1902. 

The  teacher,  Miss  Miriam  Buttimer  and  children  have  a  nice  flower  bed  here.  Francis 
Bailey,  a  member  of  the  Boys’  Experiment  Club,  is  making  the  grounds  attractive  by'cutting 
away  the  grass  and  weeds.  Why  not  a  lawn  mower  as  part  of  the  equipment  of  such  a  school  ? 
It  would  educate  as  much,  possibly,  as  some  high  priced  unused  educational  charts.' 


This  is  a  Last  Year’s  Chicken  Yard.  Winnebago  County. 

July,  1902. 

A  few  cents  for  seeds  and  a  little  work  has  transformed  this  corner.  If  such  things  are 
worth  while  for  our  homes,  why  not  for  our  schools? 


33 


Studying  Arborculture  and  Agriculture  at  Graumont,  East  Flanders. 


34 


Schoou'Garden  at  Plauen,  a^^Suburb'of'^Dresden,  Germany. 


Girls  Working  in  Leipzig  School  Garden. 


35 


The  Scene  of  Last  Year’s  Rubbish  Pile,  Winnebago  County,  III.,  September,  1902. 

A  gentleman  and  his  wife,  lovers  of  flowers  and  plants,  have  thus  changed  the  appearance 
of  their  back  yard  in  a  few  months.  The  vegetation  above  (not  trees)  represents  one  season’s 
growth.  In  the  evolution  of  the  school  garden  who  will  help  initate  people  into  the  third  degree 
mentioned  on  another  page. 


36 


fiditorial  of  the  R^ockford  Register=Gazette. 


Improve  the  School  Grounds. 

The  decoratiou  of  the  public  school  buildiugs  and  grounds  is  a  topic  that  oc¬ 
cupied  much  time  at  the  recent  Illinois  State  Farmers’  Institute.  The  movement 
advanced  by  Superintendent  O.  T.  Bright  of  the  Cook  County  schools  in  his  mem¬ 
orable  lecture  on  Thursday  evening  of  the  Institute  week,  was  merely  in  line  with 
the  work  previously  done  by  Supt.  O.  J.  Kern,  of  Winnebago  County.  It  was  a  move¬ 
ment  to  beautify  the  district  school  houses  and  make  them  places  which  should  be 
sought  with  pleasure  by  the  children  of  the  country  districts. 

Who  of  those  who  listened  to  Mr.  Bright’s  lecture  or  saw  his  illustrations  of 
school  houses  which  he  had  found  bare  of  adornment,  and  sometimes  almost  of 
windows,  and  his  comparisons  with  other  buildings  about  which  the  scholars  had 
planted  trees  and  flower  gardens  will  forget  the  contrast? 

Study  in  the  illy  ventilated,  poorly  heated  and  barren  school  rooms  would 
scarcely  appeal  to  the  average  student,  while  the  pretty,  tastefully  decorated  build¬ 
ings  shown  in  contrast  could  not  fail  to  be  a  source  of  pride  to  the  children  and 
an  incentive  to  good  work  and  a  love  of  the  school  and  the  work  done  there. 

Nor  is  it  alone  in  the  pleasure  afforded  the  children  by  pretty  surroundings, 
but  in  the  positive  benefit  they  derive  from  such  incentives  to  a  more  aesthetic 
view  of  life  that  the  beautifying  of  the  school  house  is  useful.  The  care  of 
plants,  the  watching  of  their  growth  and  development  is  a  practical  botanical  les¬ 
son  which  will  engraft  itself  on  the  heart  of  every  school  boy  and  girl. 

It  is  with  this  view  of  the  matter  that  the  Register-Gazette  warmly  endorses 
Supt.  Kern’s  efforts  in  this  direction  and  proposes  a  stimulus  to  the  work  of  the 
children  of  the  district  schools  in  making  the  school  houses  brighter,  more  attrac¬ 
tive  and  more  useful. 

The  Register-Gazette  asks  the  scholars  to  enter  into  a  competition  for  plans 
for  the  decoration  of  the  school  grounds.  The  competition  is  open  to  the  scholars  of 
all  the  district  schools  in  the  county,  and  is  for  the  plan  of  the  greatest  utility  com¬ 
bined  with  the  greatest  beauty,  not  only  for  this  but  for  succeeding  years,  of  set¬ 
ting  out  trees  and  shrubs  and  arranging  flower  beds  for  the  school  yards. 

Each  school  teacher  is  asked  to  select  the  best  plan  submitted  by  her  schol¬ 
ars  and  to  plainly  mark  it  with  the  name  and  age  of  the  pupil,  the  school  he  or  she 
attends,  and  the  teacher’s  own  name. 

These  plans  will  be  submitted  to  a  committee  of  practical  gardeners  and 
prizes  will  be  awarded  to  the  schools  in  the  order  of  excellence  as  follows: 


For  the  best  design,  -  -  -  ^5  oo 

For  the  next  best,  -  -  -  -  3  oo 

For  the  third  best,  -  -  -  2  00 

For  the  next  five,  each,  -  -  -  i  00 


The  plans  submitted  for  competition  should  be  ten  by  fourteen  inches  in 
size.  The  school  lot  should  be  indicated  and  the  position  of  the  school  house  upon 
it.  The  walks  should  be  laid  out  and  the  various  trees  and  shrubs  indicated,  the 
name  of  each  plant  being  distinctly  written.  Flower  and  vegetable  beds,  if  any 
should  be  drawn  in  the  shapes  it  is  proposed  to  install  them,  and  the  numbers  and 
varieties  of  flowers  and  plants  should  be  marked. 

The  nature  of  the  soil  should  be  described  and  this  should  be  taken  into 
consideration  in  the  selection  of  trees  and  shrubs  which  will  bestthrive.  The  cost 
must  be  moderate,  and  preference  will  be  given  to  that  plant  which  shows  the  best 
prospects  of  results  for  the  least  expenditure. 

The  awards  were  made  as  follows  : 

First  prize — Melvin  C.  Smith,  District  No.  72. 

Second  Prize — Martin  Grip,  Dist.  No  69. 

Third  prize — Hattie  Kingsbury,  Dist.  No.  202. 

Fourth  prize — Grace  Gilmore,  Dist.  No.  46, 

Fifth  prize — Dwight  Hall,  Dist.  No.  71. 

Sixth  prize — Eunice  Fitzgerald,  Dist.  No.  109. 

Seventh  prize — Fred  Thompson,  Dist.  No.  104. 

Eighth  pnze — Leila  Willoughby,  Dist.  No.  68. 

The  diagrams  of  first  and  second  awards  are  given  in  this  report. 


37 


M  u  lli>er  Hedge.  Fence. 


/ 


J5o\j’s  Closet.  Closet. 


tValH. 


• 

• 

e 

_ I_ 

_ I« _ 

m  £len  Trees. 

och  McLjoles. 
O  S nour  h  alls. 


•  e  e 

_ J _ 

JSoston  Ql-ila.cs. 

©  Hose  £u.sh.  V  l/Vhzte  Fan7i}er  ?lose£usk. 

t  Carolina  Foplax.  H.  Hitching  Posts. 


Second  Prize,  Martin  Grip,  District  No.  69. 


38 


Mull6erry  Hedge.  Fence. 


District  No.  41,  Winnebago  County,  Illinois. 

June,  1902. 

Notice  the  trees. 

Directors  are  Henry  Stevens.  E.  R.  Halley  and  Momas  Higgins, 


District  No.  -  Winnebago  County,  Illinois. 

June,  1902. 

This  district  is  in  an  adjoining  township  to  that  above.  We  hope  the  people  of  this 
district  will  observe  Arbor  Day  next  year  by  planting  trees. 


39 


Two  Stone  School  Houses  in  Adjoining  Townships, 

WiENNBAGO  County,  Illinois,  August,  1902. 


District  No.  70. 

Directors  are:  1'.  G.  Pierpoint,  Chas.  R.  Hall  and  C.  B,  Williams.  Interior  view  on 
another  page. 


District  No.  -  (From  Last  Year’s  Report.). 

School-house  and  grounds  have  held  their  own  during  the  past  year.  The  ventilation  of  the 
woodshed  is  still  all  that  could  he  desired. 


40 


Two  School  Premises  in  Adjoining  Townships. 

Winnebago  County,  Illinois,  August,  1902. 


District  No.  ioi.  See  the  trees! 

Directors  are  S.  P.  Mitchell,  A.  H.  Mitchell  and  John  Johnson. 


District  No.  - 

A  director,  in  conversation  with  me  recently,  frankly  admitted  that  this  school  house  is  a 
disgrace  to  the  educational  interests  of  Winnebago  County.  He  says  the  people  want  Central¬ 
ization  of  schools  rather  than  building  a  new  house  here.  They  are  waiting.  During  the 
past  summer  they  put  in  a  new  hardwood  floor  and  new  desks.  I'hey  expected  to  paint  the 
interior.  This  picture  was  taken  the  last  week  of  August.  The  weeds  had  not  then  been  cut 
for  opening  of  school. 


41 


District  No.  6i,  Winnebago  County,  Illinois,  June,  1902. 

Trees  here  and  a  nice  fence  in  front.  Directors  are  ;  Mrs.  Nellie  Smith,  F.  A.  Hart  and  J.  C.  Snow, 


District  No.  54,  Winnebago  County,  III.,  July,  1902. 

The  directors  got  busy  last  spring.  Trees  set  out,  new  fence  put  up  and  house  painted. 
Let  the  good  work  go  on.  Only  five  pupils  in  this  school,  Mr.  Alfred  Martin,  teacher.  Direc¬ 
tors  are  ;  R.  Brown,  J.  Brown,  and  H.  J.  Smith. 


43 


The  Old  and  the  New, 


Before. 

District  No,  65,  Winnebago  County,  Illinois. 
June,  1902. 


After. 

This  building  was  built  from  plans  prepared  by  State  Supt.  Bayliss,  in  his  circular  No. 
28.  The  directors  are  E.  M.  Sovereign,  P.  P.  Wilson  and  G.  L.  Nevius.  Finished  Octo¬ 
ber,  1902,  at  a  cost  of  $1350.00. 


43 


Well  Kept  Grounds 


District  No.  71,  Winnebago  County,  III.,  July,  1902, 

New  well  and  house  painted.  Fence  put  up  and  yard  cleaned.  A  number  of  trees  do  not 
show.  Directors  are:  L.  P.  Hall,  T.  G.  Levings  and  J.  D.  Barningham. 


District  No.  28,  Winnebago  County,  III.,  July  1902 

An  old  stone  house  yet  pleasant  interior.  And  the  people  take  pride  in  keeping  the  grounds 
attractive.  Directors  are  :  Mike  Oakley,  Burton  Fritz  and  A.  Horrigan. 


44 


Two  New  Houses 


District  No.  5,  Winnebago  County,  III,  Erected  in  1899. 

Takes  place  of  an  old  stone  house.  Cost  about  $1000.  Heated  with  a  furnace,  slate 
blackboard  and  single  seats.  Many  trees  set  out  last  spring.  Directors  are:  Messrs  Niles  Patterson, 
Alfred  Orth,  and  A.  W.  Goodrich. 


District  No.  95,  Winnebago  County,  III.,  Erected  1902. 

Cost  about  $1150.  Takes  the  place  of  old  frame  building  destroyed  by  fire.  Heated 
with  a  furnace,  slate  blackboard,  single  seats,  library  cases,  etc.  The  people  expect  to  observe 
Arbor  Day  here  next  spring.  The  directors  are:  T.  W.  Murphy,  John  W.  Murphy,  and  Henry 
Hart, 


45 


Two  Buildings  in  Same  Township 

Winnebago  County,  Illinois,  June,  1902. 


District  No.  99,  June,  1902. 

Pleasant  grounds,  house  painted  inside  and  outside.  Trees  grow  here.  Interior  shown 
on  another  page. 


Nine  trees  set  out  here  last  spring.  Interior  of  this  school  room  is  very  pleasant.  Many 
pictures  on  the  walls  and  a  good  library  and  case.  Interior  shown  on  another  page.  Directors 
are  Harry  Pollard,  W.  R.  Hollenbeck  and  Alfred  Coffin. 


46 


Two  Buildings  in  the  same  Township. 

Winnebago  County,  Illinois,  September,  1902. 


District  No.  105.  A  Country  School  House  and  a  Country  Road. 

Ready  for  School  September  i,  1902.  Weeds  all  cut  and  taken  off  the  grounds.  Fence 
since  removed.  Interior  nicely  refitted  during  past  vacation.  Directors  are  C.  E.  Johns,  J.  ' 
W.  Miller  and  L.  J.  Wing. 


(From  Last  'S’har’s  Report.) 

In  the  same  township  as  above,  three  miles  away  as  the  crow  ffies.  Everything  hold¬ 
ing  its  own.  Even  the  weeils  were  not  cut  and  removed  from  ground  for  opening  of  school 
the  present  year.  Both  houses  in  sight  of  Rockford,  The  Forest  City,  the  city  of  trees. 


47 


Heating  and  Ventilation  of  Schoolrooms 


[Interior  of  District  No.  46,  Winnebago  County,  Illinois.  Miss  Neenah-Burritt, 
teacher.  Since  above  photograph  was  taken  a  water  tank  has  been  put  in.  Teacher  and  chil¬ 
dren  gave  a  social  which  netted  $21.  Money  was  expended  for  tank  and  sink  and  pictures 
for  the  walls.]  Directors  were  George  Johns,  Frank  Johns  and  Frank  Gilmore. 

At  a  slight  expense  the  children  can  be  protected  from  the  direct  radiation 
of  a  highly  heated  stove.  It  can  be  done  by  enclosing  the  stove  in  a  sheet  iron 
jacket,  leaving  a  distance  of  12  or  18  inches  between  the  stove  and  the  inside  of 
the  jacket.  Such  a  jacket  can  be  made  and  adjusted  to  fit  any  stove  by  a  good 
tinner.  The  above  illustration  shows  what  one  board  of  directors  did. 

The  jacket  is  6  feet  high  (it  need  not  be  so  tall  for  some  stoves)  well  made 
and  securely  fastened  to  the  floor.  A  ventilator  was  built  into  the  wall  when  the 
house  was  erected.  The  opening  is  near  the  floor.  The  jacket  cost  twelve  dollars 
and  will  last  as  many  years,  thus  making  an  annual  outlay  of  one  dollar  to  curb 
this  stove  and  make  the  room  more  comfortable  for  the  children. 

School  Room  Decoration. 

Besides  putting  a  jacket  around  the  stove  the  directors  at  the  same  time  had 
the  interior  walls  and  ceiling  nicely  decorated  with  two  good  coats  of  paint.  The 
plastering  between  the  baseboard  and  the  blackboard  is  painted  a  rich  orange 
color.  Above  the  blackboard  (slate  all)  to  the  picture  moulding,  the  wall  is  a  deep 
olive,  (not  an  ugly  green.)  Above  the  picture  moulding  and  the  ceiling  the  color  is 
a  light  corn  yellow.  It  is  a  beautiful  room.  The  total  cost  was  $35  and  there  are 
many  districts  in  Winnebago  county  that  are  abundantly  able  to  have  a  similar 
room  for  their  children,  for  the  few  short  years  in  which  they  will  get  their  only 
schooling  so  far  as  books  are  concerned.  Pictures  are  finding  their  way  into  the 
school  room.  You  see  two  library  cases  built  into  the  walls.  The  directors  pur¬ 
chased  the  set  of  Illinois  Pupils’  Reading  Circle  books  ready  for  the  first  day  of 
school.  On  a  chair  you  may  see  a  box  of  the  Winnebago  County  District  School 
Traveling  Library. 


48 


[Interior  District  No,  70,  Winnebago  County,  Illinois,  June,  1902.  The  direct¬ 
ors  had  interior  nicely  painted,  new  hardwood  floor,  and  jacket  put  around  the  stove.  Li¬ 
brary  case  and  pictures  put  in  as  result  of  social  held  by  pupils  and  teacher.  You  see  also  a 
box  of  Winnebago  County  District  School  Traveling  Library.  Exterior  view  of  this  house 
is  shown  on  another  page.  Weeds  all  cut  and  out-houses  repaired.  An  up-to-date  board  of 
directors.  Mrs.  Lulu  Keeling  is  the  teacher.] 


Ventilation. 


A  cold  air  duct  should  be  so  made  as  to  admit  cold  fresh  air  beneath  such 
stoves  as  shown  above.  The  cold  air  will  thus  be  warmed  and  rise  to  the  ceiling. 
This  does  not  secure  the  discharge  of  foul  air,  however.  A  very  recent  and  most 
excellent  book  on  school  hygiene  offers  the  following  suggestions:  “The  point  to 
be  secured  in  the  heating  and  ventilating  of  the  rural  school  house  is  the  quick  and 
uniform  distribution  of  the  heat  to  all  parts  of  the  room.  In  the  opposite  side  of 
the  room  from  the  stove  (enclosed  in  a  jacket)  a  tin  or  galvanized  iron  ventilating 
duct  should  be  constructed,  oblong  in  shape,  having  its  cross-section  dimensions 
12x6  inches.  The  open  end  of  this  duct  should  be  within  one  foot  of  the  floor. 
This  duct  should  be  extended  to  the  ceiling,  and  run  along  the  ceiling  to  the  chim¬ 
ney.  There  should  not  be  any  sharp  angle  in  this  duct,  but  a  curved  bend  where 
the  upright  section  unites  with  that  which  runs  along  the  ceiling.  The  ventilating 
duct  should  discharge  into  a  large  chimney  flue,  at  least  14x20  inches,  of  cross 
section  area.  In  the  middle  of  this  flue  there  should  run  a  sheet  iron  pipe  of  suf¬ 
ficient  capacity  to  deliver  the  smoke  and  gases  from  the  stove.  The  heat  radia¬ 
ted  from  this  pipe  when  there  is  a  brisk  fire  in  the  stove  will  cause  a  strong  draft 
in  the  flue  and  draw  the  air  out  of  the  school  room  through  the  ventilating  duct.” 
This  duct,  of  course  can  be  painted  the  prevailing  color  of  the  room. 


Some  Simple  Directions. 

If  directors  do  not  provide  for  proper  ventilation  the  teachers,  at  least,  can 
do  something  to  better  the  condition  of  the  school  room  air.  The  windows  may 
be  lowered  somewhat  on  the  side  opposite  from  which  the  wind  is  blowing.  Better 
still,  boards  three  or  four  inches  wide  may  be  fitted  under  the  lower  sash  on  each 
side  of  the  room.  Surely,  as  a  last  resort,  the  windows  may  be  thrown  up  once  in 
an  hour  and  the  children  marched  around  the  room  while  the  air  is  changing.  It 
is  not  a  loss  of  time. 


Drinking  Water  in  the  School  Room. 

As  a  rule,  the  water  pail  is  in  one  corner  of  the  room  on  a  small  bench, 
almost  lost  among  the  dinner  pails,  wraps,  etc.  A  pail  of  fresh  water  is  brought 
before  school  begins  in  the  morning  and  that,  oftimes,  ends  the  water  question 


49 


for  the  day.  The  highly  heated,  foul  atmosphere  of  the  school  room  has  its  effect 
on  the  water  as  well  as  the  children.  The  children  drink  the  impure  water  and 
live  in  spite  of  it,  you  say.  But  why  compel  them  to  do  this  when  a  very  small 
expenditure  of  money  will  secure  good  cool  fresh  water?  The  following  illustra¬ 
tion  shows  how  the  directors  of  District  No,  69,  Rockford  township,  manage  the 
drinking  question. 


[Hall  of  School  House,  District  No.  69.  Another  tank  has  since  been  put  in  up¬ 
per  hall.  See  picture  of  this  building  on  another  page.] 

As  the  school  building  is  outside  the  city  of  Rockford,  of  course  it  has  no 
connection  with  the  city  waterworks.  But  there  is  a  splendid  well  on  the  prem¬ 
ises,  and  the  water  is  carried  and  poured  into  the  galvanized  iron  tank  as  shown 
above.  The  tank  is  semi-circular  with  a  flat  surface  at  the  back  and  is  nicely 
painted  on  the  outside,  with  a  cover  which  keeps  impurities  of  the  air  from  reach¬ 
ing  the  water.  There  are  a  number  of  drinking  cups  so  a  dozen  children  or  more 
do  not  attempt  to  drink  the  same  drop  of  water  from  the  same  cup  at  the  same 
instant  of  time. 

The  sink,  porcelain  lined  to  prevent  rust,  is  3  feet  long  by  feet  wide. 
The  water  pipe  conducts  to  the  exterior  of  the  building.  The  statuary  and  plants 
were  placed  there  by  the  teachers.  It  makes  a  very  attractive  drinking  place  where 
good  pure  water  is  secured.  The  cost  for  tank  and  sink  was  $12.  Most  district 
school  houses  I  am  acquainted  with  have  a  small  passage  way  at  the  entrance 
where  a  tank  and  sink  may  be  placed,  thus  taking  the  water  out  of  the  school  room 
proper.  Even  if  the  tank  and  sink  were  put  in  one  corner  of  the  school  room  it  can 
be  screened  with  a  curtain,  and  either  way  is  infinitely  superior  to  the  open  pail 
among  dinner  pails,  wraps,  overshoes,  broom,  washpan,  fragments  of  lunch,  etc. 

The  tank  should  have  fresh  water  twice  a  day  at  least  and  always  emptied  at 
night  so  there  would  be  no  danger  of  freezing  in  cold  weather. 

The  Financial  Question. 

The  cost  of  the  jacket  above  was  ^12.  The  same  amount  provided  the  tank 
and  sink.  That  makes  a  total  of  ^24,  an  outlay  not  yet  equal  to  the  price  of  some 
almost  worthless  charts.  The  above  improvements  will  last  many  years,  we  will 
say  eight  at  least.  That  makes  an  outlay  of  S3  per  annum.  Ascertain  how  much 
the  assessed  valuation  of  your  district  is  and  figure  how  much  the  tax,  for  an  out¬ 
lay  of  S3  per  year,  will  amount  to  for  the  man  who  owns  an  eighty  acre  farm  in 
the  district.  It  will  mean  only  a  few  cents,  and  if  the  man  has  two  children  in 
school  they  will  come  pretty  near  getting  the  value  of  those  few  cents  during  the 
year  in  the  enjoyment  of  the  above  improvements.  Need  I  urge  you  to  provide  for 
the  heating,  ventilation  and  water  supply  of  your  school  rooms  before  cold  weather 
begins? 


50 


Interior  of  District  No,  74,  Winnebago  County,  Illinois,  June,  1902. 

Mr.  Louis  J.  Roberts,  teacher.  You  see  the  water  tank  in  this  room.  Mr.  Roberts  and 
children  gave  a  social  which  netted  $30.  Some  beautiful  pictures,  curtains  and  school  sup¬ 
plies  were  purchased  with  the  money.  This  district  is  one  of  the  eleven  in  Winnebago  County 
that  has  not  bought  any  library  books  for  the  past  four  years.  We  hope  for  an  addition  in 
this  respect  before  this  year  is  ended. 


A  Reading  Class. 

Interior  District  No.  55,  October,  1902.  Mrs.  Jessie  Ford,  teacher.  Notice  the  water 
tank  with  individual  cups.  This  school  has  a  dictionary  and  it  is  used. 


51 


[Exterior  View  District  No.  69  [Highland  School,]  Winnebago  County,  Illi¬ 
nois,  August,  1902.  Mrs.  Maude  Jaycox,  principal.  Misses  Margaret  Nicolson,  Gertrude 
Coffin  and  Lottie  Gregory,  assistants.] 

The  County  Superintendent  takes  a  special  pride  in  this  school.  For  five 
years  he  served  as  clerk  of  board  of  directors  while  instructor  in  the  Rockford  High 
School  1891-1898.  He  has  seen  this  grow  from  a  miserable  one-room  district  school 
building.  In  1893,  the  present  building  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  ^io,ooo.  Only 
one  more  bond  to  pay  and  the  district  will  be  free  from  debt. 

This  being  a  suburb  of  [not  included  in]  Rockford,  the  population  has 
steadily  increased  till  at  present  four  teachers  are  employed. 

The  present  board  of  directors,  Messrs.  C.  W.  Barber,  Frank  Holmes  and 
C.  A.  Lundvall,  is  one  of  the  best  in  the  state.  They  take  great  pride  in  keeping 
building  and  grounds  in  first  class  shape  and  in  maintaining  a  good  school. 

During  their  administration,  all  the  walls  have  been  nicely  decorated  accord¬ 
ing  to  approved  color  schemes  selected  by  the  teachers.  And  the  teachers  and 
patrons  have  hung  pictures  on  the  walls.  See  interior  views  on  page  53. 

Many  trees  were  set  out  here  in  1894,  principally  hard  maple,  and  in  1902 
thirty  large  elm  trees  were  added,  mostly  at  the  rear  and  the  north  side.  A  shrubbery 
hedge  was  set  out  along  the  north  side  also.  Some  flowers  were  planted  last  spring 
and  it  is  safe  to  say  more  will  be  planted  next  year. 

It  is  a  source  of  great  satisfaction,  that  when  one  in  line  of  official  duty  is 
urging  the  claims  of  better  educational  facilities,  to  reflect  that  all  is  well  in  the 
home  district.  A  Parents’  Day  and  School  Reception  is  a  regular  thing  at  this 
school. 


52 


Interior  of  Room  4,  District  69  [Highland  School],  Winnebago  County,  III., 
Oct.  1902.  Mrs.  Maude  Jaycox,  teacher. 

A  Model  Decorated  School  R.oom. 

The  pictures  in  above  room  were  donated  to  the  school  by  Mr.  Horace  K. 
Turner,  room  1007  Paddock  Building,  Boston,  Mass.  Mr.  Turner  visited  Winne¬ 
bago  County  last  June,  and  while  here  promised  to  decorate  a  school  room  as  he 
thought  one  should  be  decorated  if  I  would  send  him  a  diagram  of  the  room  with 
the  subjects  of  the  course  of  study  taught  in  that  room.  The  room  includes  the 
6th,  7th  and  8th  grades  and  the  pictures  are  selected  for  those  grades. 

Mr.  Turner  has  made  several  years  study  of  art  for  school  rooms,  colleges 
and  libraries.  For  the  next  two  years  he  will  take  special  lectures  at  Harvard 
University.  At  present  he  has  charge  of  the  school  department,  free  traveling  art 
exhibits  and  lectures  of  the  Soule  Art  Company,  the  Berlin  Photographic  Company 
and  the  Franz  Hanstaengl  Company.  As  he  annouces  to  the  public: — “  The 
traveling  art  exhibits  are  more  interesting  than  ever  before.  They  are  not  chosen 
fro7n  any  one  publishing  house^  but  are  made  up  of  the  best  pictures  for  school 
decoration,  the  reproductions  being  chosen  according  to  merit  fro7n  all  the  great 
Art  Publishing  Houses.  This  year  they  include  for  the  first  time  some  very  beauti¬ 
ful  color-prints.”  It  is  the  expectation  to  have  one  of  these  exhibits  at  our  next 
Annual  Teachers’  Institute,  the  last  week  of  March,  1903. 


53 


Names  of  the  Pictures  in  this  Room. 

The  attempt  was  made  to  get  two  different  views  so  as  to  show  all  the  pic¬ 
tures  as  they  hang  on  the  walls.  But  the  photographer  found  it  impossible  to 
photograph  against  the  light  coming  from  seven  windows.  We  are  not  sure  the 
hanging  of  them  is  in  proper  form,  but  Mr.  Turner  has  promised  to  correct  any 
faults  in  this  particular  when  next  he  visits  us.  Facing  the  teacher’s  desk  and  be¬ 
ginning  at  extreme  left  and  passing  around  the  room  to  the  right,  the  pictures 
[fourteen  in  allj  are  as  follows: 

1.  Washington — Gilbert  Stuart  [not  shown  in  view]. 

2.  Shaw  Memorial — St.  Gaudens. 

3.  Lincoln. — St. Gaudens 

4.  Gleaners — Millet. 

5.  Approach  to  Venice — Turner  [in  color]. 

6.  Fighting  Temeraire — Turner. 

7.  Flight  of  Night — Wm.  Morris  Hunt. 

8.  Windmill — Ruysdael. 

9.  Water  Gate — Va7i  Marcke. 

10.  Lower  Falls,  Yellowstone  [in  col  jr]  . 

11.  Sistine  Madonna — Raphael. 

12.  Shepherd’s  Lane — Mauve. 

13.  Portrait  of  Longfellow  [very  beautiful]. 

14.  Twilight — Burgel. 

The  two  pictures  on  the  rear  wall,  viz.:  Lower  Falls,  Yellowstone,  and  the 
Sistine  Madonna,  are  as  large  as  the  Abraham  Lincoln  on  the  front  wall. 

The  frames  of  the  pictures  are  beautiful,  no  two  being  alike.  Mr.  Turner 
has  put  some  careful  study  on  the  selection  of  these  pictures,  and  the  thanks  of 
the  children,  teachers,  directors,  patrons  and  superintendent  are  hereby  extended 
him  for  his  most  generous  gift.  A  reception  will  be  given  these  pictures  and  the 
beautiful  school  room  Wednesday  evening,  Nov.  19,  1902.  It  is  the  occasion  of 
the  annual  Parents,  School  Officers  and  Teachers  meeting  which  has  been  held  for 
several  years.  Naturally  the  County  Superintendent  takes  pride  in  his  home 
school.  Much  excellent  work  is  being  done  in  other  schools  of  the  county,  and 
greater  work  will  yet  be  done  in  Winnebago  county  in  the  matter  of  art  education. 

Press  Comment. 

The  Rockford  Daily  Republic  of  Oct.  21,  1902,  says: 

“  At  the  time  the  work  of  completing  the  eighth  grade  room  in  the  Highland 
district  school  was  in  progress,  and  when  the  job  was  finished,  Mr.  Kern  recom¬ 
mended  this  room  as  the  one  to  be  adorned  by  the  Boston  gentleman,  the  select- 
tion  of  the  model  room  as  Mr.  Turner  called  it  having  been  left  to  Mr.  Kern. 

The  consignment  of  pictures  arrived  some  days  ago  and  have  been  placed 
in  position  according  to  the  arrangement  suggested  by  the  donor  and  the  result  is 
a  model  school  room  in  a  model  district  school.  The  pictures  are  reproductions 
from  the  old  masters,  and  must  be  seen  to  be  appreciated.  They  could  not  be 
duplicated  for  ^200  at  retail  in  Rockford,  and  the  management  of  the  Highland 
school  is  unstinted  in  its  praise. 

Mr.  Turner  selected  the  pictures  especially  appropriate  for  students  in 
the  sixth,  seventh  and  eighth  grades  of  schools  and  his  choice  cannot  fail  to  be 
commended  by  all  parents  and  others  who  visit  the  embellished  school  room. 

Mr.  Turner  is  now  in  charge  of  the  school  work  for  three  large  art  houses, 
of  which  the  Soule  Company  is  one  and  his  ‘  model  room  ’  in  Highland  school  can¬ 
not  fail  to  impress  all  interested.” 


54 


School  Room  Decoration. 

The  past  year  has  witnessed  a  great  advance  in  the  matter  of  more  artistic 
interiors  of  the  school-rooms.  The  Traveling  Art  Exhibits  and  Courses  of  Read¬ 
ing  on  Art  and  Artists  for  the  last  two  years  at  our  annual  institutes  are  having  a 
good  effect.  It  is  the  expectation  to  have  a  fine  collection  of  pictures  again  at  our 
next  Institute  the  last  week  of  March,  1903. 


'Work  for  1902=1903. 

Teachers  and  directors  will  not  forget  that  the  Perry  Mason  Co.,  publishers 
of  the  Youth’s  Companion,  have  a  standing  offer  of  historical  pictures  and  flags  to 
every  district  in  Winnebago  County  that  makes  a  substantial  improvement  in  build¬ 
ing  or  grounds.  This  offer  closes  March  31,  1903.  See  their  letter  on  another  page. 

Much  may  yet  be  done  in  the  way  of  interior  work  this  fall  and  winter.  The 
plastering  and  wood-work  should  be  painted.  A  jacket  should  be  put  around  the 
stove ;  a  water-tank  and  sink  should  be  provided.  The  out-houses  should  be 
cleaned,  painted  and  repaired. 

The  Prize  Winning  Schools. 

Will  your  school  be  in  the  list  when  published  next  spring?  Remember  the 
improvements  must  be  substantial  ones.  And  if  your  school  receives  a  set  of  the 
historical  pictures,  these  pictures,  if  properly  framed  and  artistically  arranged  in 
the  school  room,  will  have  a  great  educational  influence.  An  “  historical  corner  ” 
may  be  fitted  up  near  the  library  case,  while  other  pictures — reproductions  of  the 
great  masters —  may,  in  time,  be  hung  elsewhere  in  the  room. 

Socials  for  Books  and  Pictures. 

If  school  officers,  in  the  expenditure  of  school  funds  to  make  the  school- 
house  clean  and  attractive,  will  do  as  well  as  the  teachers  of  Winnebago  County 
in  raising  funds  for  good  reading  and  choice  pictures,  there  will  be  many  prize¬ 
winning  schools.  See  record  of  socials  for  last  two  years  on  another  page. 


55 


Interior  View  District  No.  41,  Winnebago  County,  Illinois,  June,  1903. 

Miss  Florence  Miller,  teacher.  Pictures  and  books  put  in  as  result  of  socials.  Directors 
had  interior  nicely  papered.  Exterior  view  seen  on  another  page. 


Pictures  Used  in  Decoration  District  No.  13,  Winnebago  County,  Illinois. 

June,  1902. 

This  is  the  four-room  village  school  of  Rockton.  D.  Frank  Fawcett,  principal,  and 
Misses  Waite,  Morrison  and  Watts,  assistants.  The  pictures  were  purchased  partly  with 
money  raised  by  the  teachers,  and  partly  by  appropriation  of  school  board.  The  walls  of  the 
school  room  have  been  tinted  and  a  new  heating  plant  installed.  The  directors  are  George 
Hopkins,  Mr,  Merrill  and  Mrs.  F.  Coons, 


56 


Interior  View  District  No.  99,  Winnebago  County,  Illinois,  June,  1902. 

Miss  Hannah  Shells,  teacher.  Library  case,  pictures  and  books  put  in  as  result  of 
socials.  Directors  worked  a  complete  change  in  interior  and  exterior.  Walls  andjwood-work 
painted.  A  box  of  the  District  Traveling  Library  is  present.  Directors  are  Robert  Greenlee, 
Hugh  McMichael,  Jr.  and  Chris  Groeneveld.  Exterior  view  is  seen  on  another  page, 


Interior  View,  Room  Three,  District  No.  9,  Roscoe  Village  School, 

June,  1902. 

B.  A.  Streeter,  principal.  Books  and  pictures  put  in  as  result  of  socials.  Directors 
had  interior  of  rooms  nicely  painted  and  papered.  Directors  are  E.  H.  Randall,  C.  W.  Wilcox, 
and  W.  A.  Whiting. 


67 


Interior  View,  Primary  Room,  District  No.  69,  Winnebago  County,  Illiinos. 

January,  1902, 

Miss  Flora  Clark,  teacher.  Exterior  view  shown  on  page  52. 


58 


Interior  View  District  No.  ii8,  Winnebago  County,  Illinois. 

February,  1902. 

Miss  Mattie  Lines,  teacher.  Pictures  and  books  put  in  as  result  of  social.  The  interior 
walls  and  wood  work  were  nicely  painted.  Directors  are  Mike  Govern,  John  Lantz  and 
James  Dolan. 


Interior  View  District  No.  104,  Winnebago  County,  Illinois. 

July,  1902. 

Miss  Miriam  Buttimer,  teacher.  Pictures  and  books  put  in  as  result  of  socials.  House 
nicely  painted.  Directors  are  S.  H.  Herrick,  Thomas  Buttimer  and  John  Engdahl.  Exterior 
view  shown  on  another  page. 


59 


Interior  View  District  No.  98,  Winnebago  County,  Illinois. 

June,  1902, 

Miss  Mary  Fitzgerald,  teacher.  Pictures  and  books  put  in  as  a  result  of  socials.  Ex¬ 
terior  view  shown  on  another  page.  A  box  of  Winnebago  District  School  Traveling  Library 
on  the  window  ledge. 


Interior  View  District  No.  72,  Winnebago  County,  Illinois. 
June,  1902. 

Miss  Clara  Wray,  teacher.  Exterior  view  shown  on  page  4 
60 


Centralization  of  Country  Schools  and  the  Transpor= 

tation  of  pupils. 


There  was  a  time  when  the  great  majority  of  people  were  opposed  to  any 
change  whatever  with  reference  to  country  school  education.  But  since  our  visit 
to  the  Centralized  Schools  of  Northeastern  Ohio  and  the  publication  of  a  report  of 
what  we  saw  there,  many  people  have  changed  their  opinions.  Many  of  the  argu¬ 
ments  offered  against  Centralization  are  purely  imaginary.  I  remember  once  when 
speaking  on  this  subject  at  a  Farmers’  Institute,  a  gentleman  arose  and  spoke  in 
opposition  to  it.  I  forget  now  how  many  wagons  he  demonstrated  [to  his  own  sat¬ 
isfaction]  that  it  would  take  to  chase  around  a  man’s  farm  to  pick  up  his  children 
and  take  them  to  school.  That  part  was  all  right.  But  the  worst  feature  was  that 
he  froze  all  the  children  to  death  in  getting  them  to  the  centralized  school  house, 
or  else  a  flood  came  while  they  were  at  school  and  washed  out  all  the  bridges  so 
the  children  could  not  get  home.  Nothing  of  that  kind  has  happened  in  Ohio.  By 
that  logic  we  should  refuse  to  travel  on  a  train  for  fear  of  wrecks. 

All  that  is  needed  \%  permissive  legislation  so  that  a  few  communities  in  Illi¬ 
nois  may  patiently  work  out  the  problem  just  as  country  people  under  like  condi¬ 
tions  are  doing  in  a  dozen  other  states.  When  people  can  see  for  themselves  then 
all  will  be  ready  for  the  Third  Degree,  and  the  Grand  Pass  Word  will  be,  “We 
always  believed  Country  Children  should  have  just  as  good  school  facilities  as 
the  City  Children.” 

One  Way. 


Going  Home  from  School,  Winnebago  County,  Illinois,  February  4,  1902. 

Mercury  that  morning  was  12  degrees  below  zero  and  a  stiff  gale  blowing. 

Another  Way. 

The  following  illustrations  are  already  familiar  to  you.  But  they  are  given 
again  and  you  are  requested  to  read  carefully  what  Mr.  C.  G.  Williams,  of  the 
Board  of  Education,  Gustavus,  Trumbull  County,  Ohio,  says  in  the  September 
number,  1902,  of  the  Ohio  Teacher.  We  visited  these  schools  and  secured  the 
photographs  in  October,  igoo.  Mr.  William’s  testimony  is  two  years  later. 


61 


Diagram  of  Gustavus  Township,  Trumbull  County,  Ohio. 
Showing  Transportation  Routes,  October,  1900. 


Going  Home  from  School,  Gustavus  Township,  Trumbull  County,  Ohio,  October,  1900. 

The  wagons  are  fitted  with  curtains,  laprobes,  and  if  necessary,  with  oil  stoves  for  severe 
weather.  Longest  route  4%  miles.  Average  price  per  wagon  per  day  $1.25. 

We  saw  these  wagons. 


CENTRALIZATION  OF  RURAL  SCHOOLS  by  C.  G.  Williams,  member  of  the  Board 
of  Education,  Gustavus,  Trumbull  County,  Ohio.  From  September  number,  1902,  of 
the  Ohio  Teacher,  published  at  Athens,  Ohio,  by  Henry  G.  Williams,  Dean  Normal 
College,  Ohio  University. 

“Gustavus  is  a  typical  rural  township  of  the  Western  Reserve  covering 
twenty-five  square  miles,  with  a  little  hamlet  composed  of  eighteen  dwelling  houses, 


62 


two  churches,  town  hall,  school  building,  one  store,  and  finally  a  blacksmith  shop 
at  the  center,  and  some  eight  hundred  population  scattered  promiscuously  over  the 
township,  with  a  school  enumeration  of  about  two  hundred  and  forty. 

Decrease  in  Population. 

In  common  with  many  rural  communities  there  has  been  a  falling  off  in  pop¬ 
ulation  in  recent  years.  In  fact  there  are  fewer  people  living  in  our  township  to¬ 
day  than  there  were  sixty  years  ago.  No  manufacturing,  and  nothing  save  agri¬ 
cultural  and  live  stock  interests.  Less  population  and  fewer  children  in  our  schools. 
The  time  came  when  it  seemed  impolitic  to  maintain  our  usual  number  of  sub-dis¬ 
trict  schools.  Up  to  August  ’98,  we  had  maintained  nine  sub-district  schools  as 
conveniently  located  as  possible,  with  a  free  high  school  at  the  center  of  the  town¬ 
ship,  which  any  pupil  was  at  liberty  to  attend  when  he  could  pass  the  required  ex¬ 
amination.  Some  few  of  these  sub  district  schools  were  attended  by  twenty  to 
twenty-five  pupils;  others  had  an  attendance  of  five  to  ten,  and  one  school  was  kept 
up  for  several  months  for  only  two  pupils.  Since  the  above  date  we  have  been  ac¬ 
commodating  our  school  poupulation  in  a  five-room  building  located  near  the  center 
of  our  township,  to  and  from  which  every  pupil  living  more  than  one-half  mile 
from  the  center  is  conveyed  at  public  expense. 

Nine  Covered  Wagons, 

Built  expressly  for  this  purpose  with  a  view  to  comfort  and  health  of  occupants 
and  owned  by  the  route  contractors,  call  at  the  home  of  every  pupil  in  the  morn¬ 
ing,  and  return  every  pupil  to  his  home  after  school.  Our  routes  vary  in  length 
from  two  and  one-half  to  five  miles,  and  cost  us  from  68c.  to  ^1.55  per  day.  These 
routes  are  let  to  the  lowest  responsible  and  satisfactory  bidder.  In  the  letting  of 
routes  the  moral  character  of  contractor  is  taken  into  consideration  and  he  is  put 
under  strict  bond,  not  only  to  do  the  work,  but  is  held  responsible  under  the  Supt. 
of  Schools  for  both  the  comfort  and  the  moral  condition  and  order  in  his  wagon  in 
transit.  ✓ 

Cheap  Transportation. 

To  many  people  the  price  at  which  we  are  able  to  let  our  routes  is  a  matter 
of  surprise.  It  should  be  remembered  that  during  the  greater  part  of  the  year  both 
trips  can  be  made  in  four  hours  or  less,  and  that  during  the  balance  of  the  year 
when  more  time  is  required,  our  contractors  (usually  farmers  with  few  acres  who 
have  to  keep  a  team  of  horses  anyhow)  are  not  very  busy  upon  their  farms.  We 
have  never  yet  had  any  trouble  in  letting  our  routes,  and  of  late  we  have  not  had 
enough  routes  to  supply  all  who  v/ould  like  them. 

Providing  for  Emergencies. 

Before  this  system  was  put  into  operation  some  prospective  patrons  worried 
a  little  as  to  what  might  happen  should  a  child  be  taken  ill  at  school,  in  some  in¬ 
stances  a  long  way  from  home.  Our  Board  of  Education  has  thought  best  to  pro¬ 
vide  against  that  trouble  by  contracting  with  a  man  to  take  any  pupil  immediately 
to  his  home  that  the  Superintendent  thinks  should  for  any  reason  go  home.  We 
have  not  as  yet  had  to  expend  over  $3  any  year  for  this  purpose.  It  surely  is  a 
comfort  to  a  parent  to  know  his  child  will  be  brought  home  if  occasion  demands  it. 

Speaking  of  opposition  it  should  be  recorded  that  when  the  proposition  came 
before  our  voters  for  indorsement  four  years  ago  at  our  annual  spring  election,  it 
was  defeated  upon  a  tie  vote.  Three  weeks  thereafter  the  same,  or  a  very  similar 
proposition  was  submitted  to  our  voters  and,  with  practically  every  vote  in  our 
township  cast,  centralization  carried  by  a  majority  of  only  seventeen  votes.  It  will 
be  seen  that  public  sentiment  was  pretty  evenly  divided  and  that  the  new  system 
and  the  new  school  would  have  very  many  critics. 


63 


The  R.eal  Test. 

It  is  a  fair  question  to  ask,  how  have  these  opponents  been  pleased  ?  Per¬ 
haps  as  good  evidence  as  I  can  bring  to  the  readers  of  The  Ohio  Teacher,  is  the 
result  of  an  investigation  and  canvass  of  our  township  made  by  a  visiting  commit¬ 
tee  from  another  county  of  the  State  in  their  efforts  to  determine  how  the  new  sys¬ 
tem  was  working.  This  visiting  committee  was  composed  of  two  members,  one  of 
whom  was  sent  here  as  an  opponent,  the  other  as  a  friend  of  centralization.  Their 
canvass  was  made  after  our  school  had  been  in  operation  two  years.  This  commit¬ 
tee  spent  several  days  in  our  community  visiting  not  only  the  school  but  many  of 
the  parents  of  the  pupils  at  their  homes,  and  particularly  those  people  who  resided 
farthest  from  the  school.  Their  report  to  their  own  Board  of  Education  (after¬ 
ward  published)  shows  seven  out  of  fifty-four  people  interviewed  to  be  yet  opposed 
to  centralization.  But  of  the  seven  opposed  to  the  system  six  were  without  child¬ 
ren  in  attendance  upon  school.  This  was  two  years  ago.  I  think  public  sentiment 
is  even  more  in  favor  of  the  “new  way”  now  than  then. 

Centralization  is  Here  to  Stay. 

As  further  evidence  that  centralization  is  here  to  stay  attention  should  be 
called  to  the  fact  that  while  Gustavus  was  the  first  township  in  this  county  to  adopt 
this  system,  since  we  have  adopted  it  every  township  adjoining  us  have  adopted  it, 
and  at  the  present  time  has  in  operation  similar  schools.  Those  who  are  nearest 
us  seem  to  be  most  favorably  impressed  with  its  benefits. 

As  to  the  comparative  expense  of  our  public  schools  conducted  in  the  old  and 
new  way:  The  last  year  in  which  we  worked  under  the  old  system  our  expenses 
were  as  follows:  Teachers,  ^2,400;  other  expenses,  1^555;  total,  $2,955. 

Under  the  new  system,  for  the  year  ending  August,  1901:  Teachers,  $1,320; 
hauling  pupils,  $1,755;  other  expenses,  $200;  total,  $3,275. 

Deduct  from  this  $75  received  from  foreign  tuition  (not  received  under  old 
system)  and  we  have  an  extra  expense  of  $245  for  the  well  supervised  and  graded 
central  school  as  compared  with  the  “hit-or-miss”  sub-district  way.  For  the  year 
ending  August,  1902,  we  employed  an  extra  teacher  at  an  expense  of  $240  more. 
With  a  larger  daily  attendance  under  centralization  the  per  capita  expense  is  about 
the  same.  Our  taxable  property  is  in  the  neighborhood  of  $370,000,  and  our  tax 
rate  for  school  purposes,  9  or  10  mills  on  the  dollar. 

Advantages  of  Graded  Schools. 

I  need  hardly  take  any  of  your  space  in  considering  the  advantages  of  a 
good  graded  school  as  compared  with  the  average  sub-district  school.  Under  a 
competent  superintendent,  with  large  numbers  and  consequently  greater  interest 
and  enthusiam,  with  better  teachers,  more  satisfactory  apparatus,  more  regular 
attendance,  and  absolutely  no  tardiness,  it  goes  without  saying  that  we  have  a 
school  beyond  all  comparison  with  our  former  sub-district  school.  It  costs  a  little 
more  money  in  our  case  but  we  are  getting  more  than  value  received  for  it,  and 
when  this  is  true  the  tax  payer  who  has  the  interest  of  the  public  at  heart  is 
satisfied. 

Our  Course  of  Study 

is  likely  very  similar  to  the  ordinary  village  special  district  school,  with  the  possi¬ 
ble  exception  that  we  have  more  work  along  the  line  of  nature  study  than  is  usually 
given.  This  is  true  of  all  grades. 

Among  the  advantages  not  already  mentioned  I  should  not  fail  to  include  the 
fact  that  we  are  able  to  keep  the  older  boys  in  school  longer.  Under  the  old  sys¬ 
tem  most  of  them  dropped  out  before  reaching  the  high  school.  There  is  no  gap 
now  to  bridge  over — no  changing  from  an  insolated  sub-district  school  to  a  high 
school  elsewhere.” 


64 


Kingsville,  Ashtabula  County,  Ohio. 


Kingsville  Centralized  School,  October,  1900.  Children  Going  Home  from  School. 
Centralization  of  schools  in  Ohio  began  here  in  1892. 

We  visited  above  school  and  I  rode  in  one  of  the  wagons  with  the  children. 

Green  Township,  Trumbull  County,  Ohio. 

Adjoining  GustavuS  township.  This  shows  how  other  townships  around  Gustavus  are 
falling  into  line. 


Centralized  Country  School  Building,  Green  Township,  Trumbull  County,  Ohio. 

Erected  1900. 

To  this  school  are  brought  all  the  children  of  the  township  and  nine  wagons  are  em¬ 
ployed  in  the  transportation.  We  visited  this  school. 

Champaign  County,  Ohio. 

The  following  is  a  part  of  an  excellent  article  by  Supt.  A.  B.  Graham,  Town¬ 
ship  Superintendent,  Springfield,  Ohio.  The  entire  article  appeared  in  the  Octo¬ 
ber  number,  1902,  of  the  Ohio  Teacher,  published  at  Athens,  Ohio,  by  Henry  G. 
Williams,  Dean  Normal  College,  Ohio  University. 

65 


The  cuts  for  this  article  were  kindly  loaned  me  by  Supt.  Graham.  I  have 
had  the  pleasure  of  meeting  Supt.  Graham  and  talking  over  the  country  school 
problem  with  him.  Mad  River  Township,  Champaign  County,  is  more  than  six 
miles  square,  and  part  of  the  roads  are  muddy. 

They  do  not  attempt  to  bring  all  the  schools  to  the  geographical  center 
of  the  township  but  centralize  in  two  places,  part  in  the  “north  precinct,”  others 
in  the  “south  precinct,”  and  still  two  or  three  one  room  schools  in  the  township 
not  yet  consolidated.  Some  people  get  the  idea  that  all  children  must  be  carried  to 
the  geographical  center  of  the  townships  regardless  of  conditions.  This  is  not  true. 
We  saw  both  kinds  during  our  visit  to  the  Western  Reserve. 

Supt.  A.  B.  Graham  in  the  October  Ohio  Teacher. 

The  centralization  of  the  country  schools  at  one  or  more  points  in  a  town¬ 
ship  is  the  only  real  solution  of  the  country  school  problem.  Nearly  forty  town¬ 
ships  of  our  state  are  today  solving  the  problem  in  this  way.  Let  us  consider  under 
what  conditions  the  schools  may  be  centralized. 

There  are  but  few  townships  in  the  state  of  Ohio  that  support  a  system  of 
sub-district  schools  that  cannot  support  a  system  of  centralized  schools,  finances 
only  considered.  The  average  number  of  teachers  in  a  township  is  nine;  the  aver¬ 
age  number  of  pupils  enrolled  in  a  township  is  270,  or  an  average  of  30  pupils  in 
all  grades  for  each  teacher.  The  number  of  teachers  for  elementary  grades  could 
be  reduced  from  nine  to  six,  and  the  difference  in  the  money  could  be  used  in 
paying  for  transportation.  Some  one  remarks  that  this  is  throwing  teachers  out 
of  employment.  This  is  really  not  such  a  serious  matter  as  the  uninformed  may 
consider  it,  the  real  seriousness  is  now,  in  a  great  many  counties,  where  can 
teachers  be  found  ?” 


[North  Precinct,  Mad  River  Township,  Champaign  County,  Ohio.  This  is  the 
old  building  and  was  remodeled  into  a  fine  6-room  building.  Contrast  this  old  building  with 
the  new.] 


66 


[New  Building  in  North  Precinct  [Westville]  ,  Mad  River  Township,  Cham¬ 
paign  County,  Ohio.  Here  are  the  transportation  wagons  in  which  are  carried  150  children.] 

Matter  of  Expense. 

Judging  from  the  experiences  of  townships  that  have  centralized  schools, 
there  is  a  saving  of  more  than  one-half  of  the  former  fuel  bill;  this  saving  can  be 
applied  toward  defraying  transportation  expenses.  Where  there  have  been  from 
eight  to  ten  schools,  if  they  are  brought  to  one  central  point,  about  one-eighth  the 
expense  of  keeping  up  repairs  on  fences,  pumps,  walks,  roofs,  etc.,  may  be  counted. 
The  increased  contingent  expense  which  may  be  expected  by  having  one  or  two 
large  buildings  will  be  materially  lessened  by  the  pride  and  precaution  taken  to 
prevent  unnecessary  breakage  and  decay.  The  writer  has  noticed  that  in  a  number 
of  townships  where  the  single  room  houses  are  well  cared  for,  aside  from  cost  of 
fuel,  the  contingent  expense  averages  from  ^20  to  ^25  per  house.  About  every 
three  years  in  townships  of  nine  schools,  a  new  house  must  be  built  or  remodeled 
at  a  cost  of  from  $900  to  ^1,500.  When  the  expense  of  building  or  rebuilding  nine 
single-room  school  houses  is  compared  with  the  cost  of  building  a  six-room  house, 
the  saving  is  found  to  be  quite  a  considerable  one,  which  with  the  interest  on  it  and 
on  other  savings  from  year  to  year  will  pay  for  transporting  every  child  required 
to  be  transported  by  the  present  law. 

Good  Roads  and  Centralization. 

Besides  the  possibility  of  saving  enough  money  to  carry  on  a  centralized 
system  of  schools  instead  of  a  sub-district  system,  good  roads  are  necessary.  It 
seems  that  the  building  of  them,  as  a  means  of  securing  a  better  school  privilege 
and  attendance,  should  engage  our  thought  as  much  as  for  transporting  the  pro¬ 
ducts  of  the  soil.  Good  schools  give  clear,  powerful  and  effective  thinkers;  the 
properly  educated  boy  or  girl,  who  should  be  a  graduate  of  a  high  school,  has  ac¬ 
quired  increased  earning  power  for  use  on  the  farm.  Would  space  permit,  the 
increased  earning  power  of  the  educated  boy  or  girl  could  be  arithmetically  dem¬ 
onstrated.  Increased  production  calls  for  better  transportation  facilities.  To 


67 


maintain  the  greatest  power  to  produce,  the  schools  must  continue  to  be  the  best 
possible;  hence  the  roads,  which  have  been  looked  upon  primarily  as  routes  for 
transporting  farm  products,  and  secondarily  for  school  purposes,  must  first  be  con¬ 
sidered  for  schools. 

Since  such  a  large  per  cent,  of  the  people  of  our  state  are  in  the  cities  and 
villages,  and  since  this  per  cent,  is  gradually  increasing,  there  is  a  great  demand 
on  the  farmer  for  the  products  of  the  soil,  and  the  demand  will  increase.  The  in- 


[Old  Building,  South  Precinct,  Mad  River  Township,  Champaign  County,  Ohio. 
The  expectation  is  to  replace  this  building  with  an  $8000  six-room,  brick  building,  to  which 
200  children  will  be  carried.] 

creased  power  for  production  cannot  be  secured  and  maintained  by  improving  the 
elementary  course  only,  but  well  trained  teachers  and  high  schools  must  be  estab¬ 
lished  to  acquire  proper  knowledge  and  mental  discipline,  to  be  able  to  understand 
articles  in  farmers’  papers,  bulletins,  reports,  and  texts  on  the  different  branches 
of  agriculture. 

The  Original  Surveys 

of  our  state  have  made  centralization  of  the  schools  very  easy  in  some  parts  of  it, 
especially  in  the  Western  Reserve.  In  this  Reserve  the  townships  are  nearly  all 
five  miles  square,  and  the  population  less  than  a  thousand.  In  the  Virginia  Mili¬ 
tary  District  the  townships  are  in  almost  every  conceivable  shape;  and  in  the  Con¬ 
gress  land,  where  the  townships  are  usually  rectangular  but  are  of  odd  lengths 
and  breadths,  the  problem  is  a  much  more  difficult  one.  In  such  townships,  some¬ 
times  the  schools  could  be  centralized  at  a  conveniently  located  village. 

There  is  another  solution  for  it  in  larger  or  in  oddly  shaped  townships  if 
advantage  is  taken  of  a  law  passed  by  the  last  legislature.  This  law  permits  trans¬ 
portation  in  special  districts.  When  sufficient  sentiment  has  been  created  in  favor 


68 


of  such  a  plan,  a  population  sufficiently  large  and  territory  enough  to  carry  with 
them  ample  wealth  to  support  a  central  school  could  be  organized  into  a  special 
district. 

R.ecent  Legislation. 

The  passage  of  the  Patterson  and  Brumbaugh  laws  will  do  much  toward 
centralizing  our  country  schools.  After  paying  high  school  tuition  into  a  few  cities 
and  villages  for  a  year  or  two,  the  subject  of  bringing  the  elementary  schools  to¬ 
gether  will  come  up,  and  with  it  the  propriety  of  having  a  high  school.  These  two 
laws  and  the  law  creating  the  normal  schools  will  do  much  toward  bringing  this 
matter  squarely  before  the  people. 

Community  Life. 

Not  the  least  necessity  for  bringing  the  small  country  schools  together  may 
be  the  restoration  of  the  debating  and  literary  exercises  in  the  high  school  and 
the  playing  of  invigorating  games  where  enough  take  part  to  make  them  a  real 
pleasure.  Then,  too.  the  play  ground  becomes  the  school  of  the  citizen,  where 
the  boys  and  girls  live  some  of  the  fundamental  lessons  of  civics.  In  such  a 
school  the  township  becomes  a  stronger  unit  for  local  government  than  it  can  be¬ 
come  under  a  system  of  isolated  schools.  A  boy  or  girl  grows  up  a  member  of  the 
society  of  the  township  instead  of  an  acquaintance  of  a  few  families. 

The  Natural  Conditions 

for  educating  a  child  are  found  in  the  country,  where  he  is  constantly  surrounded 
by  the  great  panorama  of  nature,  which,  when  serving  him  who  observes,  aids  in 
the  interpretation  of  literature,  science,  and  art.  The  conditions  surrounding  the 
child  of  the  city  are  largely  artificial;  hence  in  the  study  of  the  mechanical  indus¬ 
tries  he  may  have  this  one  point  to  his  advantage  against  the  many  in  favor  of  the 
child  who  finds  healthful  alternations  of  work  and  play  on  the  farm.  With  proba¬ 
bly  no  less  expense,  better  roads,  good  libraries,  greater  opportunities  for  expres¬ 
sion,  trained  teachers  who  know  well  how  to  make  the  most  profitable  use  of  the 
natural  conditions,  may  we  hope  to  see  systems  of  centralized  schools  making 
strong  and  valued  members  of  society,  ready  and  willing  to  perform  well  every 
duty  in  church,  state  and  home. 


Transportation  Wagons  used  on  Short  Routes  in  Mad  River  Township, 
Champaign  County,  Ohio. 

2/4  mile  route,  45  minutes;  capacity,  12  and  15;  cost,  $17  per  month.  The  wagon  to  left 
is  heated  by  chemical  brick  heaters,  one  in  each  end  of  wagon. 


69 


Wagon  Firstused  on  West  Side  of  State  of  Ohio  for  Transporting  Children  to  School 
IN  Mad  River  Township,  Champaign  County,  Ohio, 

Capacity,  20;  route,  53^  miles:  cost,  $25  per  month. 


Wagon  used  in  Springfield  Township,  Clark  County,  Ohio,  for 
Transporting  Children  to  School.  Winter  Dress, 

Route,  6  miles;  time,  i  hour  10  minutes;  capacity,  28;  transports,  18;  Township  owns  wagon, 
built  by  National  Wagon  Works,  Chilicothe,  Ohio;  cost,  $i.66H  per  day  for  transportation. 


Summer^Dress^of  Same  Wagon, 

We  have  a  second  route  now  using  same  style  of  wagon.  Route,  3K  miles;  45  minutes;  same  cost. 

70 


Township  High  School,  Bethel  Township,  Miami  County,  Ohio. 


Here,  I  suppose,  children  transport  themselves  at  no  expense  to  the  township.  Such  a  thing  can  be  done  in  Illinois. 


72 


A  Practical  Solution. 


Editorial  from  Ohio  Teacher  [Oct.  1902]  published  at  Athens,  Ohio,  by  Henry 
G.  Williams,  Dean  Norman  College,  Ohio  University: 

“  It  must  not  be  forgotten  that  centralization  of  small  rural  schools  is  a 
practical  solution  of  the  problem.  Small  schools  cannot  have  the  vitalizing  force 
that  comes  from  larger  numbers  The  environment  and  associations  necessary  to 
the  most  desirable  results  cannot  come  from  a  small  school,  especially  if  this  small 
school  is  taught  by  an  inexperienced,  poorly  trained  and  poorly-paid  teacher,  as  is 
likely  to  be  the  case.  It  must  not  be  forgotten  that  children  who  are  transported 
in  comfortable  covered  wagons  are  not  exposed  to  the  inclemency  of  the  weather. 
Their  clothing  will  be  better  cared  for,  and  their  general  health  will  be  improved. 
Tardiness  and  absence  would  be  almost  unknown.  Parents  would  become  more 
deeply  interested  in  their  schools.  Pupils  would  take  a  deeper  interest  in  their 
work,  because  of  the  added  rivalry.  Better  school  buildings,  better  sanitary  con¬ 
ditions,  better  equipment,  and  better  teachers  would  be  a  few  of  the  inevitable 
results.  It  most  not  be  forgotten,  also,  that  wherever  there  was  decided  opposition 
to  the  plan  at  the  start,  the  successful  operation  of  the  system  almost  always  wins 
unanimous  approval.  This  plan  was  first  tried  in  Ohio,  but  it  is  now  spreading  in¬ 
to  several  other  states.  The  Michigan  State  Grange  recently  sent  Hon.  A.  E. 
Palmer  into  Ohio  to  investigate  the  claims  of  centralization.  He  came  as  an 
opponent  of  the  idea,  but  returned  as  a  convert  and  advocate.” 


73 


